---
id: CVE-2026-74873
aliases:
  - GHSA-h3m5-p59h-x88p
title: >-
  openssl-encrypt has visible password in process list via --password CLI
  argument
summary: >-
  openssl-encrypt has visible password in process list via --password CLI
  argument
severity: medium
vendor: openssl-encrypt
product: openssl-encrypt
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - openssl-encrypt < 1.4.0
patched:
  - openssl-encrypt 1.4.0
published: '2026-03-31'
updated: '2026-08-18'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-h3m5-p59h-x88p'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-h3m5-p59h-x88p
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/commit/e78a3666e4592f3538adaaa6be8f5f04356174db
  - url: 'https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
ingestedAt: '2026-08-18T12:28:08.722Z'
epss: 0.00315
epssPercentile: 0.21837
---

## Overview

### Summary

Passwords passed via the `--password` / `-p` CLI argument in `openssl_encrypt/modules/crypt_cli_subparser.py` at **lines 150-154** are visible to any user on the system via `ps aux` or `/proc/[pid]/cmdline`.

### Affected Code

```python
subparser.add_argument(
    "--password", "-p",
    help="Password (will prompt if not provided, or use CRYPT_PASSWORD environment variable)",
)
```

Similarly, `--keystore-password` exposes the keystore password.

### Impact

On multi-user systems, any user can observe the encryption password by listing processes. The `CRYPT_PASSWORD` environment variable alternative is also visible via `/proc/[pid]/environ` (though with slightly restricted access).

### Recommended Fix

- Document the security implications prominently
- Recommend interactive prompting (already supported) as the secure default
- Consider supporting password file descriptors (`--password-fd`) or reading from stdin
- Consider marking the argument as deprecated in favor of interactive prompting

### Fix

Fixed in commit `e78a366` on branch `releases/1.4.x` — added --password-file and --password-fd arguments; added OPENSSL_ENCRYPT_PASSWORD env var support; --password now emits deprecation warning.

## Affected packages

- `openssl-encrypt < 1.4.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `openssl-encrypt 1.4.0`