CVE-2026-101213 in OpenManage Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Dell OpenManage Enterprise, versions prior to 4.8.0, contains an Improper Privilege Management vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of privileges.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2026
The identified security flaw resides within Dell OpenManage Enterprise software in versions preceding the 4.8.0 release and is classified as an improper privilege management issue. This category of vulnerability typically arises when a system fails to correctly enforce access control policies, allowing users or processes to perform actions beyond their authorized permissions. In this specific instance, the architectural design allows for a breakdown in the verification mechanisms that should restrict certain administrative functions to high-privileged accounts only. The core technical deficiency involves insufficient validation checks during the execution of critical system operations, which creates an avenue for unauthorized escalation of rights within the management console environment.
An attacker with low-level privileges and local access to the Dell OpenManage Enterprise interface can exploit this weakness to elevate their status to that of a high-privileged administrator. This exploitation path does not require complex external network attacks or sophisticated remote code execution techniques, as it relies on misconfigured internal permission structures accessible via standard user interfaces or application programming interfaces exposed by the software. Once exploited, the attacker gains control over sensitive management functions, including but not limited to device configuration changes, firmware updates, and access to critical system logs. This represents a significant deviation from the principle of least privilege, which dictates that users should only have the minimum levels of access necessary to perform their job functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the central role Dell OpenManage Enterprise plays in managing IT infrastructure components such as servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. By achieving elevated privileges, an attacker can compromise the integrity and availability of the entire managed environment. They may alter hardware configurations to cause service disruptions, install malicious firmware or software updates that persist across reboots, or exfiltrate sensitive data stored within the management database. Furthermore, this elevation provides a foothold for lateral movement if the OpenManage server is integrated with other enterprise systems, potentially leading to broader network compromise and loss of confidentiality for proprietary information managed through the platform.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software remediation by upgrading Dell OpenManage Enterprise to version 4.8.0 or later, where these privilege management checks have been corrected. In environments where an upgrade is not immediately feasible, administrators should implement strict access controls by limiting local login capabilities for low-privileged accounts and ensuring that the application server itself is isolated from untrusted networks. Additionally, enforcing multi-factor authentication for all administrative interfaces and monitoring logs for unusual privilege escalation attempts can provide compensating controls to reduce the risk of exploitation until a permanent patch is applied.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-269, which covers Improper Privilege Management, specifically relating to contexts where authorization checks are bypassed or incorrectly implemented. From an offensive security perspective, this scenario maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, known as Valid Accounts, particularly the sub-technique of Local Account abuse. Attackers leverage legitimate credentials with insufficient restrictions to gain higher-level access without triggering typical intrusion detection alerts associated with external brute-force or exploit attempts. Understanding these mappings helps security teams prioritize patching efforts and refine monitoring rules to detect similar privilege escalation behaviors across their infrastructure.