# CVE-2026-81692: openssl_encrypt memory allocation denial of service in FLAC parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81692-openssl-encrypt-memory-allocation-denial-of-service-in-flac  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-27. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-81692 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-08-27

openssl_encrypt is a Python library for encryption and steganography operations on audio files. Versions 1.4.8 and earlier fail to properly validate the total_samples field when parsing FLAC audio files, allowing an attacker to craft a small malicious file that causes the application to allocate multiple gigabytes of memory. This leads to out-of-memory crashes and service disruption when users attempt to decrypt or extract steganographic data.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-81692 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-81692 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-81692?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 27 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** openssl_encrypt openssl_encrypt 1.4.8 and earlier; 1.5.x affected, fixed in 1.4.9.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-81692?** A patch was published on 2026-08-27: Version 1.4.9 released Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-81692 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-81692?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a memory allocation flaw (CWE-789) in FLAC file parsing. The library reads the 36-bit STREAMINFO total_samples field and passes it directly to np.random.randint(size=(total_samples, channels)) without proper bounds checking. An attacker can craft a ~50-byte FLAC file declaring ~100 million samples, triggering ~800 MB initial allocation plus additional multi-gigabyte overhead from a flatten() operation and integer list. The attack is triggered during the 'decrypt --stego-extract' operation and requires no authentication. The vulnerability affects versions 1.4.8 and earlier as well as the 1.5.x line; it is fixed in version 1.4.9 by validating total_samples against the actual audio payload size.

## Affected products

- openssl_encrypt openssl_encrypt 1.4.8 and earlier; 1.5.x affected, fixed in 1.4.9

## Timeline

- 2026-08-27: disclosed
- 2026-08-27: patched: Version 1.4.9 released

## References

- [https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-wr9q-p3rj-vqq7](https://github.com/jahlives/openssl_encrypt/security/advisories/GHSA-wr9q-p3rj-vqq7)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-denial-of-service-via-streaminfo](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openssl-encrypt-before-1.4.9-denial-of-service-via-streaminfo)