CVE-2026-79939 in PowerProtect Cyber Recovery
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery, versions Prior to 20.3, contain an UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Script injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery software, specifically in versions prior to release 20.3, contains a critical security flaw classified as an UNIX Symbolic Link following vulnerability. This type of weakness typically arises when a system or application creates files without properly validating the path components involved, allowing an attacker to manipulate file creation operations by pre-creating symbolic links that point to sensitive locations within the filesystem. In this specific instance, the vulnerability allows for script injection, which represents a severe escalation from simple data manipulation to arbitrary code execution capabilities under certain conditions. The presence of such a flaw indicates insufficient sanitization or atomicity checks during file handling processes within the application's backend operations.
From a technical perspective, symbolic link following vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can control part of a filename used in creating a new file and uses that control to redirect the creation process toward a target file outside of the intended directory structure. By exploiting this behavior, a low-privileged attacker who has already gained local access to the system can trick the application into writing content to arbitrary files on the disk. In the context of Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery, this mechanism facilitates script injection. This means that if an attacker can inject malicious scripts into specific configuration or log files managed by the software, they may achieve unintended execution contexts depending on how those files are subsequently processed by higher-privileged processes or scheduled tasks associated with the backup and recovery infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for privilege escalation and system compromise. Although exploitation requires local access and low privileges initially, successful exploitation can lead to script injection that might be leveraged to execute commands with elevated permissions if the vulnerable application runs as a user with higher rights or interacts with privileged services. This could allow an attacker to exfiltrate sensitive backup data, modify recovery configurations, disrupt disaster recovery capabilities, or establish persistence mechanisms on the host system. The ability to inject scripts effectively bypasses many traditional perimeter defenses since the attack originates from within the trusted network boundary and utilizes legitimate application behaviors against themselves.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-59, which covers Improper Link Resolution Before File Access, a category of issues where software resolves symbolic links before performing access control checks or other security validations. Furthermore, in terms of offensive cyber operations mapping, this flaw supports techniques associated with ATT&CK ID T1076, known as Windows Remote Desktop Services, although the underlying mechanism here is Linux-based symlink manipulation rather than RDP specific abuse; more accurately it maps to general file system traversal and injection tactics such as those found under command and script interpretation vectors. The lack of proper path canonicalization or atomic file creation practices represents a fundamental deviation from secure coding standards required for enterprise-grade data protection solutions.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery versions prior to 20.3 must apply the vendor-provided patch immediately upon availability. Until the update is applied, administrators should enforce strict least-privilege principles by ensuring that no low-privileged users have local shell access or write permissions to directories where the application creates temporary files or logs. Additionally, implementing file integrity monitoring tools can help detect unauthorized modifications to critical configuration and script files associated with the backup infrastructure. Regular audits of symbolic link configurations in relevant system directories are also recommended to identify any pre-existing malicious links that an attacker might have planted during a window of opportunity before mitigation is deployed.