CVE-2026-54795 in OpenManage Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Dell OpenManage Enterprise, versions prior to 4.7.0, contains 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 Command execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The Dell OpenManage Enterprise platform serves as a centralized management solution for managing and monitoring Dell servers, storage systems, networking devices, and other IT infrastructure components within an enterprise environment. Versions prior to 4.7.0 contain a critical security flaw classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-78, which denotes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, commonly known as Operating System Command Injection. This vulnerability arises from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied input within specific administrative functions or API endpoints exposed by the application. When a request is processed, the software constructs operating system commands dynamically using this untrusted data without adequately escaping special characters that hold significance to the shell interpreter, such as semicolons, pipes, ampersands, or backticks.
A low-privileged attacker who has obtained valid remote access credentials can exploit this flaw by crafting a malicious payload embedded within standard input fields. By injecting specific command sequences into these inputs, the attacker forces the underlying operating system to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the application process. This typically runs under a service account or user context that possesses elevated permissions necessary for hardware management tasks. The exploitation does not require authentication bypass since it leverages existing valid credentials but abuses the lack of input validation within those authenticated sessions, allowing an attacker to escalate their effective privilege level significantly beyond what was originally granted by the system administrator.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Successful exploitation allows for remote code execution on the management server itself. This can lead to a complete compromise of the Dell OpenManage Enterprise instance, granting attackers full control over the underlying operating system. From there, an adversary could exfiltrate sensitive configuration data, steal credentials stored within the platform, or use the compromised server as a pivot point to attack other devices managed by the solution. The integrity and confidentiality of the entire IT infrastructure monitored by this tool are jeopardized, potentially leading to widespread service disruption, data breaches, and lateral movement across the network segment connected to the management plane.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching. Organizations running Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions earlier than 4.7.0 should upgrade to version 4.7.0 or later as soon as possible, as this release includes code changes that properly sanitize input and prevent command injection attacks. In scenarios where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, temporary mitigations include restricting network access to the management interface through strict firewall rules, ensuring it is only accessible from trusted administrative subnets. Additionally, implementing robust web application firewalls can help detect and block known command injection patterns in HTTP requests. Regular auditing of user accounts and enforcing least-privilege principles for service accounts running the OpenManage software also reduces the potential blast radius if an exploitation attempt occurs.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter abuse, specifically within the context of remote services like T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services. The attack vector involves leveraging valid credentials to execute system commands remotely, fitting into the Initial Access or Execution tactics depending on whether the initial foothold is gained through credential theft prior to this exploit or directly via this injection flaw. Security teams should monitor logs for unusual command-line activity originating from the OpenManage service account and review web server access logs for anomalous request patterns containing shell metacharacters, which may indicate active exploitation attempts against unpatched instances.