Description

Dell PowerProtect One, versions 20.1.0.0 and below, contain an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Remote execution.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-26T20:17:57.710Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-26T20:17:57.710Z",
  "executiveSummary": "Dell PowerProtect One, specifically versions 20.1.0.0 and below, contains a critical OS Command Injection vulnerability. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in system commands, potentially allowing a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.\nThe flaw poses a significant security risk, as it permits unauthorized remote code execution on the underlying host. Exploitation is possible by a low-privileged user, requiring only network connectivity to the affected appliance. Given the administrative nature of PowerProtect One, successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or complete disruption of backup services.\nThis vulnerability highlights a critical failure in input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data is processed by the operating system shell without adequate sanitization. Organizations utilizing affected versions of Dell PowerProtect One should prioritize mitigation efforts to prevent unauthorized system access and maintain the integrity of their data protection infrastructure.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is classified as an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (CWE-78). The root cause lies within the application's processing logic, where user-controlled input parameters are passed directly to system-level command execution functions without sufficient character filtering or argument escaping.\nIn the context of Dell PowerProtect One, the application fails to adequately sanitize input strings before invoking system shell commands. An attacker can inject shell metacharacters—such as semicolons, pipe symbols, or backticks—to break out of the intended command context. By crafting a specific request, an attacker can append malicious commands that the operating system will execute with the privilege level of the application process.\nThe attack flow begins with the adversary identifying an input vector, such as an API endpoint or a configuration field, that interfaces with backend shell scripts or system utilities. The attacker sends a request containing a payload designed to terminate the legitimate command execution and initiate an arbitrary shell command. Due to the lack of input validation, the application processes the tainted string, inadvertently executing the attacker's payload.\nBecause the application often runs with high privileges to facilitate system backups and storage management, the executed payload inherits these elevated permissions. This allows the attacker to gain persistent access to the appliance, manipulate backup data, modify system configurations, or move laterally within the network environment.\nAffected versions include 20.1.0.0 and all versions below it. The exploitation requires only remote network access to the management interface. While the attacker requires low-privileged authentication, the resulting impact is total system takeover, as the command injection bypasses internal access controls by interacting directly with the host operating system shell. The lack of proper input neutralization represents a fundamental weakness in the application's design, as it allows arbitrary code execution without requiring complex exploitation techniques or memory corruption exploits."
}