Description

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, versions 20.2.0.0 and below, contain a Reliance on Data/Memory Layout vulnerability. An unauthenticated remote attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Launch of phishing attacks.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-03T13:06:01.480Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-03T13:06:01.480Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, specifically versions 20.2.0.0 and earlier, is susceptible to a Reliance on Data/Memory Layout vulnerability. This flaw exposes the system to security risks by allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate memory-based execution flows. The primary impact of this vulnerability is the facilitation of sophisticated phishing attacks, which can be leveraged to harvest credentials or distribute malicious content through legitimate-looking communications originating from the trusted system. The vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizational integrity, as it allows unauthorized external actors to leverage the trust associated with the Dell PowerProtect platform. No authentication is required for an attacker to initiate the exploitation process, making this a high-severity concern for infrastructure security. The exploitation relies on the predictability or mismanagement of data layout, permitting the injection or redirection of data in a manner that compromises the integrity of the information presented to users.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager (20.2.0.0 and below) pertains to the Reliance on Data/Memory Layout, a condition where the application architecture fails to secure memory structures or data handling processes against external influence. In such implementations, the software may inadvertently process user-supplied input in a way that correlates with internal memory layout, allowing an attacker to influence memory contents or the execution path of the application.\nThe root cause lies in how the application manages internal memory buffers or data structures during the processing of remote requests. When these structures are exposed or predictably managed, an attacker can craft specifically designed payloads that trigger memory corruption, pointer manipulation, or logic errors. This is particularly dangerous in scenarios where the application performs data formatting or transmission without sufficient isolation between user-controlled data and critical system instructions.\nThe attack flow begins with the attacker identifying the remote entry points of the PowerProtect Data Manager that accept unauthenticated input. By transmitting malformed data packets to these endpoints, the attacker attempts to influence the memory layout. Since the system does not require prior authentication, the attacker can interact with the service directly from an external network. Upon receiving the crafted input, the vulnerable component misinterprets the memory pointers or the structure of the data, leading to a state where the attacker can inject malicious content or redirect data flow.\nThe post-exploitation impact centers on the Launch of phishing attacks. By manipulating the data presented by the application—such as logs, alerts, or system-generated reports—the attacker can inject fraudulent content. Users viewing these reports or communications perceive the content as authentic due to the origin being a trusted enterprise security product. This allows the attacker to conduct secondary attacks, such as credential theft or redirection to malicious domains, effectively using the PowerProtect platform as a vehicle for social engineering. The lack of validation on the data structure effectively allows the integrity of the application's output to be subverted, enabling persistent or targeted phishing campaigns that bypass standard email filtering due to the internal nature of the notification generation."
}