---
id: CVE-2026-81705
aliases:
  - PYSEC-2026-3780
  - GHSA-jgvm-7jxv-cgcc
title: >-
  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-o…
summary: >-
  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…
severity: none
vendor: openssl-encrypt
product: openssl-encrypt
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - openssl-encrypt < 1.4.9
patched:
  - openssl-encrypt 1.4.9
published: '2026-08-27'
updated: '2026-09-02'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/PYSEC-2026-3780'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-jgvm-7jxv-cgcc
  - url: >-
      https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-password-cleartext-leak-via-debug
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
epss: 0.0044
epssPercentile: 0.35636
ingestedAt: '2026-09-02T19:31:26.238Z'
---

## Overview

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.

## Affected packages

- `openssl-encrypt < 1.4.9`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `openssl-encrypt 1.4.9`