Description

Dell Container Storage Modules (CSM) versions prior to 1.18.0, contains an Improper Certificate Validation vulnerability in the proxy-server component. An unauthenticated adjacent network attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to information exposure of storage backend administrator credentials.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.2",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-06T16:17:09.580Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-06T16:17:09.580Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Dell Container Storage Modules (CSM) versions prior to 1.18.0 are susceptible to an improper certificate validation vulnerability within the proxy-server component.\nThis security flaw allows an unauthenticated, adjacent network attacker to intercept or manipulate communication, potentially resulting in the unauthorized exposure of sensitive storage backend administrator credentials.\nThe vulnerability stems from a failure of the proxy-server to correctly verify the authenticity of SSL/TLS certificates during handshake processes. By exploiting this weakness, an attacker positioned on the same network segment can execute a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack to decrypt or exfiltrate credentials transmitted by the module.\nThis poses a critical risk to the confidentiality of the storage management infrastructure. If exploited, the breach of administrator credentials grants the attacker elevated access to the storage backend, enabling unauthorized configuration changes, data exfiltration, or complete system compromise.\nThe exposure necessitates an immediate update to version 1.18.0 or later to ensure proper implementation of certificate verification mechanisms, thereby mitigating the threat of credential interception by unauthorized network entities.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides within the proxy-server component of Dell Container Storage Modules (CSM) in versions prior to 1.18.0. The root cause is an inadequate implementation of TLS certificate validation logic when the component initiates connections to backend storage resources.\nIn a secure implementation, the proxy-server is expected to validate the server's identity against a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) or a pinned certificate. Due to a defect in the code, the proxy-server fails to verify the validity, expiry, or chain of trust for the presented certificate during the TLS handshake, effectively rendering the connection susceptible to interception.\nThe attack flow requires the adversary to have network proximity to the affected CSM instance, typically within an adjacent network segment. The attacker utilizes MitM techniques, such as ARP spoofing or DNS poisoning, to intercept traffic between the proxy-server and the storage backend. Because the proxy-server does not perform rigorous certificate validation, it unknowingly establishes a secure tunnel with the attacker's malicious proxy instead of the legitimate storage endpoint.\nOnce the proxy-server is communicating with the malicious intermediary, the attacker can negotiate the decryption of the traffic flow. Because the credentials for the storage backend administrator are passed through this proxy-server to facilitate management operations, the attacker is able to capture these credentials in plaintext. The impact is significant, as the exposure of these credentials provides the attacker with administrative control over the storage backend.\nThis vulnerability is classified as an Improper Certificate Validation issue. It highlights the risk inherent in lax security controls during service-to-service communication within containerized environments. By failing to authenticate the endpoint, the proxy-server inadvertently grants an attacker the ability to transparently monitor and manipulate administrative traffic. The lack of authentication requirements on the part of the attacker—coupled with the adjacent network position—makes this a high-priority risk for organizations deploying CSM. Post-exploitation, the attacker possesses the necessary credentials to bypass storage-level security, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, destruction of storage volumes, or further propagation into the underlying infrastructure."
}