CVE-2026-81445 in OpenManage Server Administrator Managed Node
Summary
by MITRE • 09/17/2026
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, versions prior to 11.1.0.3, contains an Improper Privilege Management vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2026
The identified security flaw resides within Dell OpenManage Server Administrator software for versions preceding the release 11.1.0.3. This component serves as a critical management interface for monitoring and configuring server hardware components, including processors, memory, storage controllers, and network interfaces. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Management. Specifically, this issue stems from an insufficient enforcement of access control policies within the application logic, allowing actions that should be restricted to lower-privileged users or services to be executed by entities with higher privileges than intended. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation when specific conditions are met during interaction with the management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for Elevation of Privileges, categorized under CWE-269 in conjunction with CWE-78 or similar execution flaws depending on the exact mechanism exploited. An attacker who has already obtained remote access and possesses high-level credentials can leverage this flaw to further escalate their privileges beyond what was originally granted. This could potentially allow the attacker to gain administrative control over the server infrastructure, bypassing standard security boundaries that are designed to limit damage from compromised accounts. The existence of such a vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege, which is fundamental to secure system architecture and incident response strategies.
From an offensive perspective, this flaw aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1068, specifically sub-technique T1068.002 regarding Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. An adversary would likely need to first establish a foothold on the system through other means, such as phishing or exploiting network service vulnerabilities, before attempting to exploit this specific flaw in Dell OpenManage Server Administrator. Once exploited, the attacker could manipulate internal state variables or configuration parameters that are not properly validated for privilege levels, thereby executing commands with elevated rights. This capability enables lateral movement within a corporate network and increases the risk of data exfiltration or ransomware deployment by providing deeper system access than initially achieved through initial compromise vectors.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching to version 11.1.0.3 or later, where these privilege management checks have been corrected. In environments where updating is not immediately feasible, network segmentation should be enforced to restrict access to the OpenManage Server Administrator interface solely from trusted administrative workstations and jump servers. Additionally, implementing strict firewall rules that limit inbound connections on the ports used by this service can reduce the attack surface available to remote attackers. Security teams should also monitor for anomalous privilege changes or unexpected command executions originating from management interfaces as part of their endpoint detection and response protocols. Regular audits of user permissions assigned to server management tools are essential to ensure compliance with organizational security policies and industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53, which emphasizes the need for robust access control mechanisms in information systems.