openssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 Non-Standard PBKDF2 Key Derivation

{
  "id": "84f800f437b78cb78b4ab0460251d4b983202c1b195bc33cfdc90313842d2560",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74888",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "openssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 Non-Standard PBKDF2 Key Derivation",
    "summary": "openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 use a non-standard PBKDF2 key derivation construction with iterations=1 per call in an outer loop, creating a KDF whose security properties have not been formally analyzed. Attackers can exploit this weakened key derivation to more efficiently crack passwords protecting legacy encrypted files compared to standard PBKDF2 implementations.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-74888",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2026-74888",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2026-74888",
        "GHSA-743f-89fg-x288",
        "PYSEC-2026-3764"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V4",
          "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "768df5cd1910e349509f07a27eeac6951e0003bf"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.4.0"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
                    "strategy": "StandardRange"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:jahlives:openssl_encrypt:*:*:*:*:*:python:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.4.0"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-74888.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:23.791457663Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/74xxx/CVE-2026-74888.json",
        "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-743f-89fg-x288",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74888",
        "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-non-standard-pbkdf2-key-derivation"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-327"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "VulnCheck",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/74xxx/CVE-2026-74888.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-74888",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 490107,
  "published_at": "2026-08-17T11:04:52.472+00:00"
}