openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to redact the file password in its --debug argv dump when the password is supplied via bundled short-option spellings (e.g. -apHunter2) or abbreviated long-option spellings (e.g. --passw). The sanitizer only recognized exact option names, --option=value forms, and tokens starting with -p, so these spellings bypass the redaction chokepoint and the cleartext password is written to stderr. Anyone with access to that output (terminal scrollback, merged 2>&1 output, CI job logs, or the GUI's persistent debug log) can recover the password.
CVE-2026-81705
HIGHPre-NVD 7.57.5—Trending — 3 sources updated this week
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence
Score 7.5 from GitHub Security Advisory (severity: HIGH) published 2026-08-27. a secondary CVSS source baseline 7.5; sources differ by 0.0.
Triggered by: GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
Sources: ghsa, secondary
7.5EG
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: —CVSS: 7.5Exploit: None knownExposed: 0
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 7.5
- EG Score
- 7.5(high)
- EG Risk
- 49(Track)EG Risk 49/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity75% × 45%Exploitation0% × 40%Automatability100% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS PROB
- —
- EPSS %ILE
- —
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
August 27, 2026
Last Modified
August 27, 2026
Advisory Details (2)
Auto-updated Aug 27, 2026Patch available. Sources: github.
generic
openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 Password Cleartext Leak via Debug | Advisories | VulnCheck
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-password-cleartext-leak-via-debuggithub Patch Available
File password printed in cleartext by the --debug argv dump for bundled and abbreviated option spellings · Advisory · jahlives/openssl_encrypt · GitHub
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-jgvm-7jxv-cgccVendor Advisories for CVE-2026-81705(1)
These vendors published their own advisory mentioning this CVE — often with vendor-specific remediation steps + affected product lists not in NVD.
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 7× in last 7d / 7× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-08-27 20:27 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-27 20:27 UTCGHSA enrichment
- 2026-08-27 20:17 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-27 20:17 UTCGHSA enrichment
- 2026-08-27 17:25 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-27 16:47 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-27 16:43 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2026-81705?
CVE-2026-81705 is a high vulnerability published on August 27, 2026. openssl-encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to redact the file password in its --debug argv dump when the password is supplied via bundled short-option spellings (e.g. -apHunter2) or abbreviated long-option spellings (e.g. --passw). The sanitizer only recognized exact option names, --option=value forms, and…
When was CVE-2026-81705 disclosed?
CVE-2026-81705 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on August 27, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-81705?
CVE-2026-81705 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (NVD).
How do I remediate CVE-2026-81705?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2026-81705, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.
Dependency Blast Radius
Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2026-81705
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2026-81705?
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