CVE-2026-81440 in OpenManage Server Administrator
Summary
by MITRE • 09/17/2026
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, versions prior to 11.1.0.3, contains a Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Unauthorized access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2026
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is a comprehensive management suite designed for monitoring and managing Dell PowerEdge servers. Versions prior to 11.1.0.3 contain a critical security flaw classified as the use of hard-coded credentials, which represents a fundamental failure in secure software design principles. This vulnerability arises because specific authentication mechanisms within the OMSA web interface or underlying services rely on static, pre-defined username and password combinations that are embedded directly into the application code rather than being dynamically generated or managed through a secure configuration database. Such an architectural decision violates core security tenets by ensuring that valid credentials exist independently of administrative intent, effectively creating backdoors that persist regardless of system updates or user configurations unless the software itself is patched.
From a technical perspective, this flaw allows any remote actor with network access to the target server's management interface to bypass legitimate authentication processes. Since the credentials are hard-coded and often documented in public vulnerability databases or vendor advisories, an attacker does not need to perform complex credential stuffing attacks or exploit weak password policies. Instead, they can simply input these known default values into the login prompt of the OMSA web console or API endpoints. This results in immediate unauthorized access to the management plane without requiring prior compromise of administrative accounts or exploitation of additional software bugs. The ease of exploitation significantly lowers the barrier for entry, enabling even low-skilled threat actors to gain footholds within enterprise environments that rely on Dell hardware infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the privileged nature of the OpenManage Server Administrator interface. Once an attacker gains access using these hard-coded credentials, they obtain a high-level administrative role over the server's out-of-band management capabilities. This grants them the ability to monitor system health, view sensitive hardware inventory data, and potentially execute commands that affect firmware updates or power states. In many deployments, this level of access can serve as an initial vector for broader network compromise. Attackers may leverage this foothold to pivot laterally into internal networks, exfiltrate confidential business intelligence stored on the server, or deploy ransomware by manipulating system configurations and disabling security controls through the management interface.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials, which identifies risks associated with static authentication data embedded in source code or configuration files that cannot be changed without modifying the software itself. Furthermore, from a threat modeling perspective consistent with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this exploit maps to Initial Access techniques involving Valid Accounts and specifically T1078: Valid Accounts, where adversaries use legitimate credentials obtained through various means, including default configurations, to establish persistence and move within the environment. The lack of dynamic credential management also relates to CWE-259: Use of Hard-coded Passwords in a Configuration File if such defaults are stored externally but remain static across deployments.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading Dell OpenManage Server Administrator to version 11.1.0.3 or later, where these hard-coded credentials have been removed and replaced with secure, dynamic authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also enforce strict network segmentation policies to restrict access to the OMSA web interface solely from trusted management networks using firewalls or virtual LANs. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative interfaces adds a critical layer of defense-in-depth that can mitigate risks even if default credentials are discovered. Regular vulnerability scanning and configuration audits should be conducted to ensure no legacy versions remain in production environments, thereby reducing the attack surface available to opportunistic attackers seeking easy entry points into server infrastructure.