Description

Dell Command Update (DCU), versions prior to 5.7.1, contain a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of Privileges.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-19T15:17:07.480Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-19T15:17:07.480Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Dell Command Update (DCU) versions prior to 5.7.1 are affected by a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability. This security flaw enables a low-privileged local attacker to achieve an Elevation of Privileges on vulnerable systems.\nThe vulnerability resides within the application's handling of serialized data streams, which lack proper validation and sanitization prior to deserialization. By manipulating input parameters or data structures processed by the application, an adversary can execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged security context, such as SYSTEM or an administrative user.\nExploitation requires local access to the target endpoint and low-privileged user interaction or execution capabilities. While remote exploitation is not feasible due to the local vector requirement, the potential impact is severe, granting unauthorized system-level privileges that could lead to complete compromise of the underlying operating system.\nOrganizations utilizing affected versions of Dell Command Update face significant risk if local users can manipulate application inputs or leverage local execution vectors to trigger the flawed deserialization process. Immediate remediation is required to mitigate potential privilege escalation vectors.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability identified in Dell Command Update (DCU) versions prior to 5.7.1 is rooted in insecure deserialization practices within the software architecture. Deserialization is the process of converting serialized byte streams back into complex objects or data structures within application memory. When an application fails to adequately validate, restrict, or type-check the incoming data streams before instantiating objects, it creates an attack surface vulnerable to arbitrary object injection and subsequent execution flows.\nIn this specific vulnerability, the vulnerable component within Dell Command Update processes untrusted serialized data without enforcing strict deserialization filters or cryptographic integrity checks. The attack vector requires local access, meaning the adversary must already possess the ability to execute code or manipulate data locally on the target machine. Despite the local access requirement, the security implications are critical because the application often executes with elevated privileges or interfaces with privileged background services.\nThe step-by-step attack flow typically proceeds as follows: First, the low-privileged attacker identifies the vulnerable entry point, such as an inter-process communication (IPC) channel, a local API, or a file-based input mechanism utilized by Dell Command Update that accepts serialized objects. Second, the attacker crafts a malicious payload containing serialized data designed to instantiate specific gadget chains or unexpected object types when processed by the runtime environment. Third, the attacker delivers this payload locally to the vulnerable DCU component.\nUpon receipt, the vulnerable component attempts to deserialize the untrusted data stream. Because the input lacks adequate validation, the application instantiates the attacker-controlled objects, triggering underlying methods or state changes inherent to the payload design. This unintended execution flow allows the attacker to hijack the control flow of the application. Consequently, the attacker achieves an Elevation of Privileges, executing arbitrary code or commands with the elevated privileges associated with the Dell Command Update process, effectively compromising the host operating system's security boundaries."
}