diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8c189c5e7b..da0e80fff1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ include("cmake_targets/macros.cmake")
 ###################################
 include(FindPkgConfig)
 
-pkg_search_module(OPENSSL openssl REQUIRED)
-include_directories(${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-
 pkg_search_module(CONFIG libconfig REQUIRED)
 include_directories(${CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
@@ -759,8 +756,10 @@ set(SECURITY_SRC
   ${OPENAIR3_DIR}/SECU/nas_stream_eia2.c
   )
 
+pkg_check_modules(OpenSSL openssl REQUIRED)
 add_library(SECURITY ${SECURITY_SRC} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:ds>)
 target_include_directories(SECURITY PRIVATE ${OPENAIR_DIR}/common/utils/ds/)
+target_link_libraries(SECURITY PRIVATE ${OpenSSL_LIBRARIES})
 
 # Physical Channel Procedures Scheduling
 ################################"
@@ -2117,7 +2116,7 @@ target_link_libraries(lte-softmodem PRIVATE
   ${NAS_UE_LIB} ITTI SIMU SIMU_ETH
   -Wl,--end-group z dl)
 
-target_link_libraries(lte-softmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} sctp)
+target_link_libraries(lte-softmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} sctp)
 target_link_libraries(lte-softmodem PRIVATE ${T_LIB})
 target_link_libraries(lte-softmodem PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2178,7 +2177,7 @@ target_link_libraries(lte-uesoftmodem PRIVATE
   ${NAS_UE_LIB} ITTI ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES}
   -Wl,--end-group z dl)
 
-target_link_libraries(lte-uesoftmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} sctp ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(lte-uesoftmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} sctp ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
 target_link_libraries(lte-uesoftmodem PRIVATE ${T_LIB})
 target_link_libraries(lte-uesoftmodem PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2219,7 +2218,7 @@ target_link_libraries(nr-softmodem PRIVATE
   x2ap f1ap m2ap m3ap e1ap
   -Wl,--end-group z dl)
 
-target_link_libraries(nr-softmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} sctp ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(nr-softmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} sctp ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
 target_link_libraries(nr-softmodem PRIVATE ${T_LIB})
 target_link_libraries(nr-softmodem PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2281,7 +2280,7 @@ target_link_libraries(nr-uesoftmodem PRIVATE
   ITTI ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} LIB_5GNAS_GNB LIB_NAS_SIMUE ${NAS_SIM_LIB} SIMU SIMU_ETH
   -Wl,--end-group z dl)
 
-target_link_libraries(nr-uesoftmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(nr-uesoftmodem PRIVATE pthread m CONFIG_LIB rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES})
 target_link_libraries(nr-uesoftmodem PRIVATE ${T_LIB})
 target_link_libraries(nr-uesoftmodem PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2420,7 +2419,7 @@ add_executable(nr_dlsim
   )
 target_link_libraries(nr_dlsim PRIVATE
   -Wl,--start-group UTIL SIMU SIMU_ETH PHY_COMMON PHY_NR_COMMON PHY_NR PHY_NR_UE SCHED_NR_LIB SCHED_NR_UE_LIB MAC_NR MAC_UE_NR MAC_NR_COMMON nr_rrc CONFIG_LIB L2_NR HASHTABLE x2ap SECURITY ngap -lz -Wl,--end-group
-  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} dl
+  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI dl
   )
 target_link_libraries(nr_dlsim PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2432,7 +2431,7 @@ add_executable(nr_prachsim
   ${SHLIB_LOADER_SOURCES})
 target_link_libraries(nr_prachsim PRIVATE
   -Wl,--start-group UTIL SIMU PHY_COMMON PHY_NR_COMMON PHY_NR PHY_RU PHY_NR_UE MAC_NR_COMMON SCHED_NR_LIB CONFIG_LIB -lz -Wl,--end-group
-  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} dl)
+  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI dl)
 target_link_libraries(nr_prachsim PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
 add_executable(nr_ulschsim
@@ -2469,7 +2468,7 @@ endif()
 
 target_link_libraries(nr_ulsim PRIVATE
   -Wl,--start-group UTIL SIMU SIMU_ETH PHY_COMMON PHY_NR_COMMON PHY_NR PHY_NR_UE SCHED_NR_LIB SCHED_NR_UE_LIB MAC_NR MAC_UE_NR MAC_NR_COMMON nr_rrc CONFIG_LIB L2_NR HASHTABLE x2ap SECURITY ngap -lz -Wl,--end-group
-  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} dl
+  m pthread ${ATLAS_LIBRARIES} ${T_LIB} ITTI dl
   )
 target_link_libraries(nr_ulsim PRIVATE asn1_nr_rrc_hdrs asn1_lte_rrc_hdrs)
 
@@ -2507,7 +2506,7 @@ foreach(myExe s1ap
     ${OPENAIR3_DIR}/TEST/test_${myExe}.c
     )
   target_link_libraries (test_${myExe}
-    -Wl,--start-group SECURITY UTIL -Wl,--end-group m rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} CONFIG_LIB
+    -Wl,--start-group SECURITY UTIL -Wl,--end-group m rt crypt ${CRYPTO_LIBRARIES} CONFIG_LIB
     )
 endforeach(myExe)
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/nr_pdcp_integrity_nia1.c b/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/nr_pdcp_integrity_nia1.c
index a005bbbdf6..3dbf15136b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/nr_pdcp_integrity_nia1.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/nr_pdcp_integrity_nia1.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <openssl/cmac.h>
 
 #include "openair3/SECU/secu_defs.h"
 #include "openair3/SECU/key_nas_deriver.h"