CVE-2026-81685: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-qp5w-w4gh-6jc5
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CVSS 3.3
CWE-116
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-81685 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 3.3) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. as a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-81685 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-81685
GHSA Identifier GHSA-qp5w-w4gh-6jc5
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.3
CWE Classification CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-81685

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-2026-81685, 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-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output, where the product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. as a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved. 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 1.4.9 fail to sanitize recovery-slot metadata in the desktop GUI, allowing attackers to inject control characters and line separators into the irreversible-removal confirmation dialog. Attackers can craft encrypted files with malicious slot identifiers containing bidi overrides or line-separator characters to forge warning text and deceive users during file removal operations.

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-49h2-qmcq-wvvc
NVD — CVE-2026-81685 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81685
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-text-injection-via-recovery-slot-metadata

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-81685?
CVE-2026-81685 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-81685?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-81685?
CVE-2026-81685 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.3 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-81685?
CVE-2026-81685 is classified under CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output (The product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. As a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-81685?
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-qp5w-w4gh-6jc5",
  "modified" : "2026-08-27T18:32:27Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-27T18:32:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-81685" ],
  "details" : "openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.9 fail to sanitize recovery-slot metadata in the desktop GUI, allowing attackers to inject control characters and line separators into the irreversible-removal confirmation dialog. Attackers can craft encrypted files with malicious slot identifiers containing bidi overrides or line-separator characters to forge warning text and deceive users during file removal operations.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/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-49h2-qmcq-wvvc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81685"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-text-injection-via-recovery-slot-metadata"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-116" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-27T17:20:58Z"
  }
}