CVE-2026-45446: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7phf-qpm5-q6p3
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CVSS 4.8
CWE-325
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-45446 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-325: Missing Cryptographic Step) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not implement a required step in a cryptographic algorithm, resulting in weaker encryption than advertised by the algorithm.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-45446 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-45446
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7phf-qpm5-q6p3
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-325: Missing Cryptographic Step
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-45446

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-45446, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-325: Missing Cryptographic Step, where the product does not implement a required step in a cryptographic algorithm, resulting in weaker encryption than advertised by the algorithm. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Issue summary: The implementations of AES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV (RFC 8452) mishandle the authentication of AAD (Additional Authenticated Data) with an empty ciphertext allowing a forgery of such messages. Impact summary: An attacker can forge empty messages with arbitrary AAD to the victim's application using these ciphers. AES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV (RFC 8452) are nonce-misuse-resistant AEAD modes: they accept a key, nonce, optional AAD (bytes that are authenticated but not encrypted), and plaintext, and produces ciphertext plus a 16-byte tag. On decrypt, `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` is documented to return success only if the tag is verified succesfully. In OpenSSL's provider implementation of these ciphers, the expected tag is computed only when decryption function is invoked with non-empty data. If the caller supplies AAD and then calls `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` without invocation of the ciphertext update, which can happen when the received ciphertext length is zero, the tag is never recalculated and still holds its all-zeros value. When AES-GCM-SIV is used, an attacker who sends arbitrary AAD, empty ciphertext, and all-zeros tag passes authentication under any key they do not know, single-shot. When AES-SIV is used, for mounting the attack it's necessary for the application to reuse the decryption context without resetting the key. AES-SIV is implemented since OpenSSL 3.0. AES-GCM-SIV is implemented since OpenSSL 3.2. No protocols implemented in OpenSSL itself (TLS/CMS/PKCS7/HPKE/QUIC) support either AES-GCM-SIV or AES-SIV. To mount an attack, the applications must implement their own protocol and use the EVP interface. Also they must skip the ciphertext update when a message with an empty ciphertext arrives. The FIPS modules in 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, and 3.0 are not affected by this issue, as these algorithms are not FIPS approved and the affected code is outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-45446 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45446
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/25b32cd9d41d2bc01b6abc425bb4baf2c2236fdc
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/71e2a5d263518cf5866043bd60ee4994d59e53a3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/7fe3f33a3b3a4c487aa4dcdbc87057f66ffd2b85
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/daca0f48e4a69a2892a62262bad59e62a8a76598
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/eec5e9bf0d867333b8495e456f5235d225798a68
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/25b32cd9d41d2bc01b6abc425bb4baf2c2236fdc
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/71e2a5d263518cf5866043bd60ee4994d59e53a3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/7fe3f33a3b3a4c487aa4dcdbc87057f66ffd2b85
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/daca0f48e4a69a2892a62262bad59e62a8a76598
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/eec5e9bf0d867333b8495e456f5235d225798a68
openssl-library.org/news/secadv/2026060... WEB
https://openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20260609.txt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-45446?
CVE-2026-45446 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-325: Missing Cryptographic Step.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-45446?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-45446?
CVE-2026-45446 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-45446?
CVE-2026-45446 is classified under CWE-325: Missing Cryptographic Step (The product does not implement a required step in a cryptographic algorithm, resulting in weaker encryption than advertised by the algorithm.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-45446?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7phf-qpm5-q6p3",
  "modified" : "2026-06-10T09:31:57Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-09T18:30:48Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-45446" ],
  "details" : "Issue summary: The implementations of AES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV\n(RFC 8452) mishandle the authentication of AAD (Additional Authenticated\nData) with an empty ciphertext allowing a forgery of such messages.\n\nImpact summary: An attacker can forge empty messages with arbitrary AAD\nto the victim's application using these ciphers.\n\nAES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV (RFC 8452) are nonce-misuse-resistant AEAD\nmodes: they accept a key, nonce, optional AAD (bytes that are authenticated\nbut not encrypted), and plaintext, and produces ciphertext plus a 16-byte\ntag. On decrypt, `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` is documented to return success only\nif the tag is verified succesfully.\n\nIn OpenSSL's provider implementation of these ciphers, the expected tag is\ncomputed only when decryption function is invoked with non-empty data.\nIf the caller supplies AAD and then calls `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` without\ninvocation of the ciphertext update, which can happen when the received\nciphertext length is zero, the tag is never recalculated and still holds its\nall-zeros value.\n\nWhen AES-GCM-SIV is used, an attacker who sends arbitrary AAD, empty\nciphertext, and all-zeros tag passes authentication under any key they do not\nknow, single-shot. When AES-SIV is used, for mounting the attack it's\nnecessary for the application to reuse the decryption context without\nresetting the key.\n\nAES-SIV is implemented since OpenSSL 3.0. AES-GCM-SIV is implemented since\nOpenSSL 3.2.\n\nNo protocols implemented in OpenSSL itself (TLS/CMS/PKCS7/HPKE/QUIC) support\neither AES-GCM-SIV or AES-SIV. To mount an attack, the applications must\nimplement their own protocol and use the EVP interface. Also they must skip the\nciphertext update when a message with an empty ciphertext arrives.\n\nThe FIPS modules in 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, and 3.0 are not affected by this\nissue, as these algorithms are not FIPS approved and the affected code is\noutside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
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  } ],
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/71e2a5d263518cf5866043bd60ee4994d59e53a3"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/7fe3f33a3b3a4c487aa4dcdbc87057f66ffd2b85"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/daca0f48e4a69a2892a62262bad59e62a8a76598"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/eec5e9bf0d867333b8495e456f5235d225798a68"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/25b32cd9d41d2bc01b6abc425bb4baf2c2236fdc"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/71e2a5d263518cf5866043bd60ee4994d59e53a3"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/7fe3f33a3b3a4c487aa4dcdbc87057f66ffd2b85"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openssl/security/commit/eec5e9bf0d867333b8495e456f5235d225798a68"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20260609.txt"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-325" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-09T17:17:19Z"
  }
}