Description

Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) 5.0 Application, versions prior to 5.36.00.00, contains an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to remote execution.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-07T13:20:33.720Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-07T13:20:33.720Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) 5.0 Application versions prior to 5.36.00.00 are susceptible to an OS Command Injection vulnerability. This flaw allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying host operating system.\nThe vulnerability originates from the improper neutralization of special elements within application inputs, which are subsequently passed to system-level shells without sufficient sanitization. Successful exploitation grants an attacker full control over the affected appliance, leading to total system compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized service manipulation.\nGiven that the vulnerability does not require authentication, the risk level is critical. It exposes the infrastructure to persistent threats, including the deployment of malicious payloads or lateral movement within the network environment. Remediation requires an immediate update to the application version specified by the vendor.",
  "technicalDetails": "The identified vulnerability is classified as an OS Command Injection, specifically where user-supplied data is concatenated into system commands without rigorous validation or escape character neutralization. The vulnerability exists within the Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) application, affecting versions earlier than 5.36.00.00.\nThe root cause is rooted in a failure to sanitize input fields within the application's processing logic, which directly interacts with the host's operating system interface. When an attacker provides a crafted payload containing shell metacharacters—such as semicolons, backticks, or pipe operators—these characters are interpreted by the underlying command processor rather than being treated as literal data strings.\nIn terms of attack flow, an unauthenticated, remote attacker sends a specifically crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint. The application processes the malicious input and passes it into a system execution call, such as system() or exec() variants. Because the input lacks sanitization, the application inadvertently triggers a secondary execution context. This allows the attacker to append arbitrary commands, effectively chaining them to the legitimate system operation.\nThe execution environment runs with the privilege level of the application service account, which often possesses elevated or root-level access in appliance-based architectures. Consequently, the attacker can execute system binaries, modify configuration files, establish reverse shells, or deploy persistent backdoors. The lack of authentication requirements facilitates automated exploitation, making the appliance a primary target for scanning and remote compromise.\nOnce the initial command injection is successful, the attacker can conduct post-exploitation reconnaissance to identify internal network configurations, extract credentials stored within the SCG, or pivot to other systems within the management domain. The impact is essentially total, as the attacker effectively bypasses the application's security boundary to exert influence over the underlying OS layer."
}