--- a/loginutils/chpasswd.c
+++ b/loginutils/chpasswd.c
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ int chpasswd_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM,
 
 			crypt_make_pw_salt(salt, algo);
 			free_me = pass = pw_encrypt(pass, salt, 0);
+
+			if (pass[0] == 0) {
+				free(free_me);
+				bb_perror_msg_and_die("password encryption failed");
+			}
 		}
 
 		/* This is rather complex: if user is not found in /etc/shadow,
--- a/loginutils/cryptpw.c
+++ b/loginutils/cryptpw.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ int cryptpw_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM,
 	/* Supports: cryptpw -m sha256 PASS 'rounds=999999999$SALT' */
 	char salt[MAX_PW_SALT_LEN + sizeof("rounds=999999999$")];
 	char *salt_ptr;
-	char *password;
+	char *password, *hash;
 	const char *opt_m, *opt_S;
 	int fd;
 
@@ -140,8 +140,12 @@ int cryptpw_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM,
 		/* may still be NULL on EOF/error */
 	}
 
-	if (password)
-		puts(pw_encrypt(password, salt, 1));
+	if (password) {
+		hash = pw_encrypt(password, salt, 1);
+		if (hash[0] == 0)
+			bb_perror_msg_and_die("password encryption failed");
+		puts(hash);
+	}
 
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
--- a/loginutils/passwd.c
+++ b/loginutils/passwd.c
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ int passwd_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, c
 		if (!newp) {
 			logmode = LOGMODE_STDIO;
 			bb_error_msg_and_die("password for %s is unchanged", name);
+		} else if (newp[0] == 0) {
+			logmode = LOGMODE_STDIO;
+			free(newp);
+			bb_perror_msg_and_die("password encryption failed");
 		}
 	} else if (opt & OPT_lock) {
 		if (!c)