CVE-2026-81693 openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 Denial of Service via QR total field

High 8.7 Published 27 Aug 2026 Updated 1 Oct 2026

Attackers can cause denial of service via unbounded memory allocation by supplying crafted QR images with large total values to the openssl_encrypt library.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2026-81693?

CVE-2026-81693 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Jahlives Openssl Encrypt, published on 27 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

openssl_encrypt before 1.4.9 fails to validate the total field from QR JSON payloads before materializing ranges. Attackers can supply crafted QR images with extremely large total values to trigger unbounded memory allocation and cause denial of service through out-of-memory conditions.

Weakness: CWE-789

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-81693?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including openssl-encrypt. It affects 1 product.

Package	Affected	Fixed in
`openssl-encrypt` PyPI	All versions	`1.4.9`

Products include Jahlives Openssl Encrypt.

How do I fix CVE-2026-81693?

Upgrade openssl-encrypt to 1.4.9 or later.

Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.

Is CVE-2026-81693 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-81693 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Jahlives Openssl Encrypt vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-m9c9-3x53-3cf8, GHSA-r23m-gf2m-8www, PYSEC-2026-3798.