CVE-2026-91903 in OpenManage Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
Dell OpenManage Enterprise, versions prior to 4.8.0, contains an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with adjacent network access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Filesystem access for attacker.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2026
The vulnerability identified in Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions prior to 4.8.0 represents a critical security flaw classified as an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. This type of vulnerability arises when software constructs file paths from user-supplied input without sufficiently validating that the resulting path remains within the intended restricted directory structure. In this specific instance, the application fails to properly sanitize filenames or directory components provided by users during operations such as file uploads, configuration imports, or log retrieval processes. By manipulating these inputs with special characters like dot-dot-slash sequences, an attacker can break out of the designated sandboxed area and access arbitrary files on the underlying operating system filesystem.
From a technical perspective, this flaw allows for unauthorized read and potentially write operations depending on the specific file permissions associated with the application process running Dell OpenManage Enterprise. The vulnerability is particularly severe because it bypasses standard access controls that are typically enforced by web frameworks or middleware layers designed to prevent external users from accessing sensitive system files. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can read critical configuration files, source code, database credentials, or other sensitive data stored on the server hosting the management platform. This capability fundamentally undermines the confidentiality and integrity of the managed infrastructure, as it provides a direct pathway to extract secrets that are essential for maintaining secure operations within an enterprise environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential role in broader attack chains. While exploitation requires high-privileged access on the network level, meaning the attacker must already have adjacent network access and elevated credentials within the Dell OpenManage Enterprise system, the resulting filesystem access can lead to complete compromise of the management server. Once an attacker gains control over the underlying file system, they may escalate privileges further by modifying application binaries, injecting malicious scripts into configuration files, or stealing session tokens and cryptographic keys stored on disk. This effectively neutralizes the security boundaries provided by the virtualization and isolation mechanisms intended to protect the hypervisor host from compromised management interfaces.
In terms of industry standard classifications, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. It also maps to specific tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix, particularly T1083: File and Directory Discovery, which describes techniques used by adversaries to explore file systems for sensitive information. The exploitation scenario reflects common patterns seen in web application attacks where input validation is insufficiently rigorous against encoded or nested traversal sequences.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions prior to 4.8.0 must apply the vendor-provided security patch immediately upon availability. It is imperative that administrators verify their current version and upgrade to 4.8.0 or later where these input validation checks have been strengthened. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, temporary mitigations should include restricting network access to the Dell OpenManage Enterprise interface strictly to trusted administrative subnets using firewalls or VLAN segmentation. Additionally, implementing strict web application firewall rules that detect and block path traversal patterns in HTTP requests can provide a layer of defense-in-depth against exploitation attempts while waiting for permanent remediation through software updates.