CVE-2026-90732 in PowerProtect Data Domain
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2026
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain, Feature Release versions 7.7.1.0 through LTS 2026, LTS2024 release versions 7.13.1.0 through 7.13.1.80, LTS2025 release versions 8.3.1.0 through 8.3.1.40, LTS2026 release versions 8.6.1.0 through 8.6.1.20, contain a Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The identified security flaw resides within Dell PowerProtect Data Domain systems across multiple software release branches, specifically affecting Feature Release versions 7.7.1.0 through LTS 2026, LTS2024 releases from 7.13.1.0 to 7.13.1.80, LTS2025 releases ranging from 8.3.1.0 to 8.3.1.40, and LTS2026 versions spanning 8.6.1.0 to 8.6.1.20. This vulnerability is classified as a stack-based buffer overflow, which represents a critical memory corruption error where the application writes more data to a fixed-length block of memory allocated on the call stack than it can hold. In the context of enterprise storage appliances like PowerProtect Data Domain, such flaws often arise in network-facing services or management interfaces that process external input without adequate bounds checking. The vulnerability allows for the overwriting of adjacent memory locations on the stack, which typically includes return addresses and saved frame pointers used by the program counter during execution flow control.
From a technical perspective, this type of flaw is categorized under CWE-121, Stack-based Buffer Overflow, indicating that the root cause lies in improper validation of input data length relative to the allocated buffer size on the stack memory segment. When an attacker supplies crafted input exceeding the expected limits, the excess data spills over into neighboring memory spaces. While modern operating systems employ various mitigations such as non-executable stacks and address space layout randomization, a successful exploitation can still disrupt normal program execution by corrupting critical control structures. In this specific instance, the primary consequence is not arbitrary code execution but rather a Denial of Service condition. The corruption likely causes the affected service or process to crash immediately upon processing the malformed input, leading to system instability or unavailability of storage services for authorized users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to the elevated privilege level required and the nature of the target environment. Exploitation requires a high-privileged attacker with remote access, meaning that an adversary must already possess valid credentials with administrative or equivalent rights within the PowerProtect Data Domain system. This constraint limits the attack surface primarily to insider threats or scenarios where credential theft has occurred through other vectors such as phishing or lateral movement from compromised hosts. Once exploited, the resulting denial of service can halt backup and recovery operations, disrupt data replication workflows, and potentially cause cascading failures in dependent systems that rely on continuous availability of storage resources. For organizations utilizing these specific versions for critical data protection strategies, this outage could lead to missed backup windows and increased risk of data loss during subsequent failure events.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, immediate action should be taken to upgrade all affected Dell PowerProtect Data Domain systems to a patched version that addresses the stack-based buffer overflow issue. Administrators must verify their current software release against the specified vulnerable ranges provided by Dell Technologies and apply the latest security patches as soon as they are available through official support channels. In addition to patching, it is advisable to enforce strict network segmentation policies to limit remote access to management interfaces only from trusted IP addresses or jump hosts with multi-factor authentication enabled. Regular vulnerability scanning and configuration audits should be conducted to ensure that no unauthorized high-privileged accounts exist within the environment and that all software components are maintained at supported release levels. Monitoring logs for unusual activity patterns, such as repeated failed login attempts followed by service crashes, can also aid in detecting potential exploitation attempts before they result in prolonged outages.