How severe is CVE-2026-74889?

CVE-2026-74889 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-2026-74889 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-74889?

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-2026-74889 published?

CVE-2026-74889 was published on 2026-08-17.

CVE-2026-74889

CVE-2026-74889 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-326.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v4: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (10th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-326
Published: 2026-08-17
Last modified: 2026-08-17

Description

openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 use HKDF with no salt and static info parameter in key normalization functions, reducing entropy extraction and determinism. Attackers can exploit predictable key derivation with identical inputs to weaken cryptographic security against multi-target attacks.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-74889?: openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 use HKDF with no salt and static info parameter in key normalization functions, reducing entropy extraction and determinism. Attackers can exploit predictable key derivation with identical inputs to weaken cryptographic security against multi-target attacks.
How severe is CVE-2026-74889?: CVE-2026-74889 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-2026-74889 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-74889?: 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-2026-74889 published?: CVE-2026-74889 was published on 2026-08-17.

References

Other CWE-326 (Inadequate Encryption Strength) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2014-9199 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Clorius Controls Java web client before 01.00.0009g allows remote attackers to discover credentials by sniffing the…
CVE-2018-25272 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): ELBA5 5.8.0 contains a remote code execution vulnerability that allows attackers to obtain database credentials and…
CVE-2025-12478 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Non-Compliant TLS Configuration.This issue affects BLU-IC2: through 1.19.5; BLU-IC4: through 1.19.5 .
CVE-2022-24116 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Certain General Electric Renewable Energy products have inadequate encryption strength. This affects iNET and iNET II…

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