What is CVE-2026-74888?

CVE-2026-74888 is openssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 Non-Standard PBKDF2 Key Derivation. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Remote Code Exec mapped to CWE-327 CWE-327.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-74888. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-74888 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, EDR process telemetry, host service logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-74888 using CVSS 7.5, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

highRemote Code Execpublic exploit

CVE-2026-74888

CVE-2026-74888 — openssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 Non-Standard PBKDF2 Key Derivation

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.

Published Aug 17, 2026Updated Aug 17, 2026Sources: NVD, jahlives (CNA), GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Exploit code

public exploit, none observed

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

jahlives

2 products listed

CVSS base

7.5

high · 2 sources

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade openssl_encrypt to a fixed release (1.4.0). Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
jahlives	openssl_encrypt	0 to < 1.4.0	Vulnerable
jahlives	openssl_encrypt	1.4.0	Patched

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

None

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

None

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
7.5	CVSS 3.1	high	3.9	3.6	NVD, jahlives (CNA), GHSA
8.7	CVSS 4.0	high	—	—	jahlives (CNA)

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

CWE-327 · Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm

Read Application Data
Modify Application Data
Hide Activities

Mitigation: When there is a need to store or transmit sensitive data, use strong, up-to-date cryptographic algorithms to encrypt that data. Select a well-vetted algorithm that is currently considered to be strong by experts in the field, and use well-tested implementations. As with all cryptographic mechanisms, the source code should be available for analysis. For example, US government systems require FIPS 140-2 certification. Do not develop custom or private cryptographic algorithms. They will likely be exposed to attacks that are well-understood by cryptographers. Reverse engineering techniques are mature. If the algorithm can be compromised if attackers find out how it works, then it is especially weak. Periodically ensure that the cryptography has not become obsolete. Some older algorithms, once thought to require a billion years of computing time, can now be broken in days or hours. This includes MD4, MD5, SHA1, DES, and other algorithms that were once regarded as strong. [REF-267]

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-327

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

CAPEC-20 · Encryption Brute ForcingCAPEC-614 · Rooting SIM CardsCAPEC-473 · Signature SpoofCAPEC-97 · CryptanalysisCAPEC-475 · Signature Spoofing by Improper ValidationCAPEC-608 · Cryptanalysis of Cellular EncryptionCAPEC-459 · Creating a Rogue Certification Authority Certificate

T1036.001Masquerading: Invalid Code Signature
T1553.002Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Repositories

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable openssl_encrypt.
Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPSEDR process telemetryhost service logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 7.5 (AV:N)
Aug 17, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Aug 17, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-m7fg-4j92-vghm published (high)
Aug 17, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
CVE published by mitre
Aug 17, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

Source activity

Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.

1×CVE modified by NIST, Modified, LinkAug 17, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

4 on the record

github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-743f-89fg-x288
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre, NIST
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-non-standard-pbkdf2-key-derivation
Vendor Advisory, Mitre, NIST
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74888
NVD
github.com/advisories/GHSA-m7fg-4j92-vghm
Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Elsewhere on this site

jahlivesevery CVE for this vendor
Remote Code Execsame class
CWE-327other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-74888 is openssl_encrypt before 1.4.0 Non-Standard PBKDF2 Key Derivation, a high vulnerability affecting openssl_encrypt from jahlives. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-74888. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.