CVE-2026-74885: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9j5f-pjwj-62r3
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CVSS 3.6
CWE-117
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-74885 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 3.6) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product constructs a log message from external input, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements when the message is written to a log file.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-74885 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-74885
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9j5f-pjwj-62r3
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.6
CWE Classification CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.6

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

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2026-74885

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-2026-74885, 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-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs, where the product constructs a log message from external input, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements when the message is written to a log file. 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

openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 contain a logging bug in restore_hidden_modules() that logs module counts after clearing, always showing zero restored modules and corrupting audit trails. Additionally, a race condition exists between module hiding and import hook installation where another thread could re-import blocked modules in multi-threaded environments.

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-43r4-3hf9-m84q
NVD — CVE-2026-74885 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74885
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-logging-bug-and-race-condition

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-74885?
CVE-2026-74885 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-74885?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-74885?
CVE-2026-74885 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.6 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-74885?
CVE-2026-74885 is classified under CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs (The product constructs a log message from external input, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements when the message is written to a log file.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-74885?
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 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9j5f-pjwj-62r3",
  "modified" : "2026-08-17T12:32:25Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-17T12:32:25Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-74885" ],
  "details" : "openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 contain a logging bug in restore_hidden_modules() that logs module counts after clearing, always showing zero restored modules and corrupting audit trails. Additionally, a race condition exists between module hiding and import hook installation where another thread could re-import blocked modules in multi-threaded environments.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-43r4-3hf9-m84q"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74885"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-logging-bug-and-race-condition"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-117" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-17T11:16:43Z"
  }
}