How severe is CVE-2026-74872?

CVE-2026-74872 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-74872 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (38th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-74872?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-74872 published?

CVE-2026-74872 was published on 2026-08-17 and last updated on 2026-08-18.

CVE-2026-74872

CVE-2026-74872 is a critical-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-426.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v4: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (38th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-426
Published: 2026-08-17
Last modified: 2026-08-18

Description

openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 contain an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the Whirlpool hash implementation that uses broad glob patterns to load .so modules without integrity verification. Attackers can place malicious .so files matching the whirlpool*py313*.so pattern in site-packages directories to achieve native code execution when the module is loaded.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-74872?: openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 contain an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the Whirlpool hash implementation that uses broad glob patterns to load .so modules without integrity verification. Attackers can place malicious .so files matching the whirlpool*py313*.so pattern in site-packages directories to achieve native code execution when the module is loaded.
How severe is CVE-2026-74872?: CVE-2026-74872 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-74872 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (38th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-74872?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-74872 published?: CVE-2026-74872 was published on 2026-08-17 and last updated on 2026-08-18.

References

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