CVE-2023-32486 in PowerScale OneFS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2023
Dell PowerScale OneFS 9.5.x version contain a privilege escalation vulnerability. A low privilege local attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to escalation of privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-32486 affects Dell PowerScale OneFS 9.5.x systems and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that can be exploited by low-privileged local attackers. This vulnerability resides within the system's authorization mechanisms and allows unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges that should be restricted to administrative accounts only. The issue stems from improper access control validation within the OneFS operating system framework, which governs the Dell PowerScale storage appliances. The affected versions include all 9.5.x releases, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple system configurations that organizations using Dell PowerScale storage solutions must address immediately.
The technical nature of this privilege escalation vulnerability involves a flaw in the system's privilege validation process where legitimate user sessions can be manipulated to obtain administrative privileges without proper authentication or authorization checks. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation, improper privilege separation, or flawed access control implementation within the operating system's core components. The flaw enables attackers who already possess low-privileged user accounts to exploit weaknesses in the privilege management system and elevate their access level to full administrative privileges. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a serious concern as it allows attackers to bypass normal security controls and potentially gain complete control over the storage system.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-32486 is significant for organizations relying on Dell PowerScale storage infrastructure, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to access sensitive data, modify storage configurations, manipulate user permissions, and potentially disrupt business operations. The vulnerability could be exploited to gain access to critical enterprise data stored on the PowerScale appliances, allowing for data exfiltration, data corruption, or complete system compromise. Organizations using these storage systems face risks including unauthorized data access, system downtime, and potential compliance violations due to compromised data integrity. The local nature of the attack means that even organizations with strong network security measures may be vulnerable if attackers can establish a foothold on the system through other means such as compromised user credentials or social engineering attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of Dell's security patches and updates released to address the privilege escalation flaw. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring of system logs for suspicious privilege elevation activities and establish strict access control policies to minimize the risk of low-privileged accounts being compromised. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the potential impact of exploitation. From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-276 which addresses improper privileges and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the system's authorization framework and ensure comprehensive protection against similar attacks.