CVE-2026-22271 in ObjectScale
Summary
by MITRE • 01/23/2026
Dell ECS, versions 3.8.1.0 through 3.8.1.7, and Dell ObjectScale versions prior to 4.2.0.0, contains a Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to information exposure.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2026
This vulnerability resides within Dell Elastic Cloud Storage and Dell ObjectScale software platforms, specifically affecting versions ranging from 3.8.1.0 through 3.8.1.7 of ECS and all prior versions of ObjectScale up to 4.2.0.0. The flaw represents a critical weakness in the system's data transmission protocols where sensitive information flows through networks without proper encryption, creating an avenue for unauthorized data interception. The vulnerability manifests as a cleartext transmission issue that falls under CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of data in transit. This weakness allows attackers to capture and read confidential data including but not limited to authentication credentials, user information, and system configuration details that traverse the network in plain text format.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates a significant risk for unauthorized access to enterprise storage systems that typically contain sensitive corporate data, customer information, and intellectual property. Attackers exploiting this weakness could potentially gain unauthorized access to storage resources, manipulate data, or conduct further reconnaissance to identify additional system vulnerabilities. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require valid credentials to initiate the attack, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by anyone with network access to the affected systems. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046, which describes the use of network service scanning to identify vulnerable systems, and T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol usage for data exfiltration. The vulnerability creates a direct pathway for information disclosure that could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized data access.
Organizations utilizing affected Dell storage solutions should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of vendor-provided patches and updates to versions 4.2.0.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, with particular attention to unusual data transmission patterns and unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive network traffic analysis to identify any evidence of cleartext data transmission and implement mandatory encryption protocols for all communications between storage components and client systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing end-to-end encryption for sensitive data transmission and highlights the need for regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in storage infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on cleartext transmission attempts, as this vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in secure communication protocols that could be exploited in lateral movement attacks.