The vulnerability allows an attacker to remove the recovery slots from an openssl_encrypt envelope‑format encrypted file without re‑encrypting the payload. By altering the file header to delete the recovery‑slot fields, the authentication check is bypassed and the owner’s intended recovery paths are silently removed. This leads to a loss of integrity verification for the encrypted data and can thwart recovery mechanisms designed to safeguard data.

jahlives openssl_encrypt before version 1.4.9 are affected. Any instance of this software that processes envelope‑format encrypted files and relies on recovery slots for authentication is vulnerable.

The CVSS score is 9.3, indicating a severe risk. EPSS data is unavailable, but the absence of a known public exploit and the lack of listing in the CISA KEV catalog suggest that exploitation is not currently widespread. Attackers likely need local access to the encrypted file or an avenue to modify the file header (for example, through an upload interface). Once the header is altered, the authentication bypass allows recovery slots to be removed without detection, compromising the intended security controls.