CVE-2026-81702: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m2gh-w3fj-x92v
CVSS 9.8
CWE-345
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-81702 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-81702 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-81702
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m2gh-w3fj-x92v
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-81702

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-2026-81702, 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-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity, where the product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data. 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 before 1.4.9 fails to re-derive and validate fingerprints when loading identities from identity.json, allowing attackers to substitute public keys in identity stores. Attackers can replace legitimate public keys with their own while maintaining the claimed fingerprint, enabling silent key substitution where encryption uses attacker keys and signature verification appears valid.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-81702?
CVE-2026-81702 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-81702?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-81702?
CVE-2026-81702 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-81702?
CVE-2026-81702 is classified under CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity (The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-81702?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-m2gh-w3fj-x92v",
  "modified" : "2026-08-27T18:32:29Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-27T18:32:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-81702" ],
  "details" : "openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to re-derive and validate fingerprints when loading identities from identity.json, allowing attackers to substitute public keys in identity stores. Attackers can replace legitimate public keys with their own while maintaining the claimed fingerprint, enabling silent key substitution where encryption uses attacker keys and signature verification appears valid.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "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-q8p3-7h6h-ghfr"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81702"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-key-substitution-via-identity-load"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-345" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-27T17:21:00Z"
  }
}