CVE-2023-32487 in PowerScale OneFS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2023
Dell PowerScale OneFS, 8.2.x - 9.5.0.x, contains an elevation of privilege vulnerability. A low privileged local attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to denial of service, code execution and information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-32487 affects Dell PowerScale OneFS storage systems across versions 8.2.x through 9.5.0.x, representing a critical elevation of privilege flaw that can be exploited by low-privileged local attackers. This vulnerability resides within the system's privilege management mechanisms and represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the storage platform's access controls. The flaw allows an attacker with minimal privileges to escalate their access level and gain elevated permissions within the system environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate privilege validation and authorization checks within the OneFS operating system. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate system processes and potentially execute arbitrary code with higher privileges than initially granted. The vulnerability's nature suggests a flaw in how the system handles privilege transitions or access control lists, creating an opportunity for privilege escalation that bypasses normal security boundaries. This type of vulnerability commonly maps to CWE-276, which describes improper privilege management, and may also align with CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions that could enable privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can lead to comprehensive system compromise through denial of service conditions, unauthorized code execution, and information disclosure. A successful exploitation could result in complete system control, data theft, or disruption of critical storage services that organizations depend upon for business operations. The local nature of the attack means that an attacker must first gain access to the system through other means, but once inside, they can leverage this vulnerability to expand their control and access to sensitive data and system resources.
Organizations running affected Dell PowerScale systems should immediately implement mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Dell, implementing strict access controls, and monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation activities. Network segmentation and regular security audits should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions indicates a persistent issue that requires comprehensive remediation across the entire affected product line. Security teams should also consider implementing behavioral analytics to detect anomalous privilege usage patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and represents a critical concern for organizations relying on enterprise storage solutions where data integrity and system availability are paramount.