Critical severity9.8OSV Advisory· Published Aug 17, 2026· Updated Sep 1, 2026
CVE-2026-74900
CVE-2026-74900
Description
openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 contain a critical vulnerability in pqc.py where KEM decapsulation failures silently fall back to simulation mode, generating a deterministic shared secret from only 16 bytes of the private key and publicly available encapsulated key data. Attackers who obtain 16 bytes of the private key can compute the shared secret and decrypt all ciphertext, as the fallback triggers on any KEM failure without raising an error.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Affected products
2(expand)+ 1 more
- (no CPE)
- (no CPE)range: <1.4.0
Patches
Vulnerability mechanics
References
2- github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-p3gq-pcg9-qvfvnvdMitigationVendor Advisory
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-weak-shared-secret-via-pqc-simulation-modenvdThird Party Advisory
News mentions
1- Jahlives openssl_encrypt: 25 Critical Flaws Including Auth Bypass and Sandbox Escapes Disclosed TogetherVypr Intelligence · Aug 17, 2026