CVE-2026-74878: openssl-encrypt: TOTP rate limiter is in-memory only , not shared across workers, lost on restart

CVE-2026-74878 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-08-17

openssl_encrypt versions before 1.4.0 use an in-memory rate limiter for TOTP brute-force protection that is not shared across workers and is lost on server restart. Attackers can distribute authentication attempts across multiple server instances or retry immediately after a restart to bypass rate limiting protections.

Technologies: Jahlives Openssl Encrypt, openssl-encrypt (PyPI). Vendors: Jahlives, PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-74878 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-74878 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-74878?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 17 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
openssl-encrypt (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=1.4.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-74878?
Yes. openssl-encrypt (PyPI): upgrade to 1.4.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-74878?
Check whether you run Jahlives Openssl Encrypt or openssl-encrypt (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • openssl-encrypt (PyPI): upgrade to 1.4.0 or later
    pip install "openssl-encrypt>=1.4.0"

Affected products

  • Jahlives Openssl Encrypt
  • openssl-encrypt (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=1.4.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-74878
  • GHSA-h45m-mgcp-q388
  • PYSEC-2026-3757

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.