CVE-2026-73589 in Secure Connect Gateway Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 09/23/2026
Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager, versions prior to 5.34.00.16, Versions prior to 5.36, contains a Weak Encoding for Password vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information disclosure, Information tampering, Protection mechanism bypass, and Unauthorized access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2026
The Dell Secure Connect Gateway Policy Manager software, specifically versions prior to 5.34.00.16 and those preceding version 5.36, contains a critical security flaw classified as weak encoding for passwords. This vulnerability stems from the improper handling of credential storage mechanisms within the application's backend architecture. Instead of employing robust cryptographic hashing algorithms with appropriate salting techniques, such as bcrypt or Argon2, the system relies on weaker encoding methods that are susceptible to reverse engineering and brute-force attacks. The fundamental technical flaw lies in the failure to ensure that password data is rendered unintelligible even if an attacker gains access to the underlying database or configuration files where these credentials are persisted. This deficiency represents a significant deviation from established security best practices for identity management systems, creating a direct pathway for malicious actors to compromise user accounts without needing to crack complex hashes through computationally expensive methods.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations relying on Dell Secure Connect Gateway for secure remote access and policy enforcement. A low-privileged attacker who has achieved local access to the system can exploit this weakness to extract plaintext or easily reversible password data from the storage medium. Once obtained, these credentials can be used to escalate privileges by logging in as a high-privilege administrator account. This leads directly to information disclosure, where sensitive internal network configurations and user identities are exposed, followed by information tampering, allowing an attacker to modify security policies to weaken defenses or create backdoors. Furthermore, the ability to bypass protection mechanisms enables unauthorized access to protected resources that should be restricted based on role-based access controls. The impact is compounded because Policy Manager typically holds administrative control over network segmentation rules and authentication protocols, meaning a compromise here can affect the entire connected infrastructure rather than just the gateway itself.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-256, which covers the storage of passwords in an insecure manner, as well as CWE-798, involving the use of hardcoded credentials or weak cryptographic algorithms for password protection. In terms of attack vectors and tactics, this flaw facilitates techniques described under MITRE ATT&CK ID T1078, specifically Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate system accounts to maintain persistence and move laterally within a network. The exploitation path typically involves local privilege escalation followed by credential dumping or direct authentication using the weakly encoded passwords found in configuration files or database tables associated with the Policy Manager service.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must immediately upgrade Dell Secure Connect Gateway to version 5.34.00.16 or later, which includes patches addressing these encoding deficiencies and implementing stronger cryptographic standards for password storage. Until an upgrade is feasible, administrators should enforce strict local access controls on the gateway appliances, ensuring that only essential personnel have shell or file system access to the underlying operating system. Additionally, it is critical to rotate all passwords managed by the Policy Manager immediately after patching, as previous credentials may already be compromised if the vulnerability was actively exploited in the environment. Regular audits of authentication logs and monitoring for anomalous login attempts from administrative accounts can help detect potential exploitation activities early. Implementing multi-factor authentication where supported adds an additional layer of defense that remains effective even if password hashes are eventually cracked, thereby reducing the overall attack surface associated with this specific weakness.