Description

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, versions prior to 20.2.0.0, contain(s) an Improper Input Validation vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of privileges.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.2",
  "pubDate": "2026-07-22T16:17:19.423Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-07-22T16:17:19.423Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An improper input validation vulnerability has been identified in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager in versions prior to 20.2.0.0. This security flaw introduces significant risk implications regarding system integrity and authorization boundaries. Specifically, the vulnerability allows an authenticated actor with high privileges and remote network access to potentially compromise the underlying security architecture, culminating in an elevation of privileges.\nThe impact of successful exploitation enables an adversary to transcend their intended authorization scope, potentially granting them administrative or higher-level control over the affected system components. Exploitation requirements necessitate that the threat actor already possesses high privileges within the application context, along with remote access capabilities to the target environment. Because the flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, malicious payloads or crafted requests submitted through vulnerable interfaces are not properly sanitized or verified before processing. This lack of robust input validation logic creates a pathway for privilege escalation, undermining the foundational security controls of the deployment and exposing the infrastructure to further unauthorized administrative manipulations.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is rooted in an improper input validation weakness within Dell PowerProtect Data Manager prior to version 20.2.0.0. The root cause originates from the application's failure to adequately validate, filter, or sanitize input parameters processed by internal components handling administrative or privileged operations. When input handling routines accept malformed or maliciously crafted data without strict boundary and type checks, downstream functions process the input in an insecure manner.\nExploitation of this vulnerability requires remote network access to the target system and necessitates that the attacker already holds high privileges within the application environment. Although the attacker must be authenticated with elevated privileges, the absence of stringent input validation allows them to supply anomalous parameters that manipulate internal logic flows during execution.\nThe step-by-step attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the authenticated high-privileged attacker establishes a remote connection to the vulnerable Dell PowerProtect Data Manager interface or service endpoint. Second, the attacker crafts a specialized request containing malicious or unexpected input designed to target the insecure input-handling component. Third, the application receives the payload and fails to validate the input parameters properly before passing them to privileged backend functions or system routines. Fourth, the lack of sanitization allows the crafted input to alter the intended control flow or system command execution context. Finally, this manipulation results in the unauthorized escalation of privileges, granting the attacker higher-level access capabilities than initially provisioned.\nThe post-exploitation impact includes the potential consolidation of unauthorized administrative control over the affected Dell PowerProtect Data Manager instance. This allows the attacker to execute privileged administrative functions, modify system configurations, access sensitive data stores, or compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the managed backup infrastructure."
}