CVE-2026-74888
Non-standard PBKDF2 in openssl_encrypt (<1.4.0) weakens password-protected files
Is CVE-2026-74888 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74888 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.17% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-74888?
CVE-2026-74888 is rated High. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-74888?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74888. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-74888 affect?
CVE-2026-74888 affects openssl_encrypt < 1.4.0, Files encrypted with the vulnerable implementation, Applications/libraries calling that function. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-74888?
Upgrade to 1.4.0+, re-encrypt sensitive files and rotate passwords.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Enables faster offline password cracking of legacy encrypted files, permitting decryption and data exposure.
Patch when possible
- affected< 1.4.0
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.