Issue summary: The 'openssl dgst' command-line tool silently truncates input data to 16MB when using one-shot signing algorithms and reports success instead of an error. Impact summary: A user signing or verifying files larger than 16MB with one-shot algorithms (such as Ed25519, Ed448, or ML-DSA) may believe the entire file is authenticated while trailing data beyond 16MB remains unauthenticated. When the 'openssl dgst' command is used with algorithms that only support one-shot signing (Ed25519, Ed448, ML-DSA-44, ML-DSA-65, ML-DSA-87), the input is buffered with a 16MB limit. If the input exceeds this limit, the tool silently truncates to the first 16MB and continues without signaling an error, contrary to what the documentation states. This creates an integrity gap where trailing bytes can be modified without detection if both signing and verification are performed using the same affected codepath. The issue affects only the command-line tool behavior. Verifiers that process the full message using library APIs will reject the signature, so the risk primarily affects workflows that both sign and verify with the affected 'openssl dgst' command. Streaming digest algorithms for 'openssl dgst' and library users are unaffected. The FIPS modules in 3.5 and 3.6 are not affected by this issue, as the command-line tools are outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary. OpenSSL 3.5 and 3.6 are vulnerable to this issue. OpenSSL 3.4, 3.3, 3.0, 1.1.1 and 1.0.2 are not affected by this issue.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from openssl organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2026, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2026-01-27T16:16:14.523
2026-02-02T18:37:39.313
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 5.5 (MEDIUM)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | openssl | openssl | < 3.5.5 | Yes |
| Application | openssl | openssl | < 3.6.1 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For openssl's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.