CVE-2026-81719

Description

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 executes untrusted third-party plugins with insufficient controls: the plugin signature policy defaulted to WARN, so an unsigned/unverifiable non-built-in plugin was compiled and executed in the host process at import time, before the runtime sandbox is installed. The only default gate was an incomplete, bypassable AST denylist. If a user is induced to load an attacker's plugin, this results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running openssl_encrypt. Fixed in 1.4.9 by defaulting the signature policy to ENFORCE for non-built-in plugins.

References

• github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-587j-4r3v-cm2c · Vendor Advisory
• www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-remote-code-execution-via-plugin · Third Party Advisory