CVE-2026-91906 in OpenManage Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
Dell OpenManage Enterprise, versions prior to 4.8.0, contains an Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Protection mechanism bypass.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2026
The identified security flaw resides within Dell OpenManage Enterprise software versions preceding the 4.8.0 release and is classified as an incorrect permission assignment for a critical resource. This category of vulnerability typically stems from insufficient validation or configuration of access control lists, file system permissions, or application-level authorization mechanisms during the initialization or runtime execution of sensitive components. In this specific instance, the underlying issue allows entities with lower privilege levels to interact with resources that should be restricted to administrative users only. The root cause often involves misconfigured default settings where critical files, configuration directories, or internal API endpoints are granted read or write permissions to broader user groups than necessary for their operational function. This deviation from the principle of least privilege creates a significant security gap within the management infrastructure.
From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability requires local access and low-privileged credentials on the host system running Dell OpenManage Enterprise. While the requirement for initial foothold limits the attack vector to internal threats or compromised endpoints with network proximity, the impact is severe due to the nature of the target application. Once a low privileged user gains entry to the operating environment, they can exploit these improper permissions to bypass established protection mechanisms. This may involve reading sensitive configuration files that contain credentials for connected devices, modifying system settings to disable security logging or alerting features, or altering management policies to weaken overall infrastructure defenses. The ability to manipulate critical resources without elevated privileges effectively neutralizes several layers of defense designed to protect the managed environment from unauthorized changes and data exfiltration.
The operational impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation within the local host. Since Dell OpenManage Enterprise serves as a centralized platform for managing servers, storage, and networking equipment across an enterprise, compromising its integrity can lead to widespread disruption or exposure. An attacker could potentially extract credentials stored in configuration databases, allowing them to authenticate directly to managed devices such as iDRAC, iLO, or SAN controllers. This lateral movement capability enables the compromise of physical hardware components, leading to data theft, service denial through malicious firmware updates or power controls, and persistent backdoors within the infrastructure. Furthermore, if the vulnerability allows for modification of security policies, it could disable intrusion detection systems or audit logs, facilitating stealthy long-term access without triggering immediate alerts from standard monitoring tools.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must prioritize upgrading Dell OpenManage Enterprise to version 4.8.0 or later, where these permission assignments have been corrected according to vendor recommendations. In the interim, if an upgrade is not immediately feasible, administrators should implement strict host-based access controls by restricting local user accounts that interact with the application service account permissions. It is advisable to review and harden file system permissions on all directories associated with Dell OpenManage Enterprise configurations, ensuring they are accessible only by the designated service account and root users. Additionally, deploying network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from general corporate networks can reduce the attack surface for local privilege escalation attempts originating from compromised endpoints. Continuous monitoring of access logs for unusual permission changes or unauthorized configuration modifications is also recommended to detect potential exploitation activities early in the kill chain.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which describes incorrect default permissions where a software product has insecure defaults that allow unintended actors to perform actions they should not be able to do. It also relates closely to CWE-732, involving permission assignment errors for critical resources. From an offensive security standpoint, this scenario maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1055, which covers process injection and privilege escalation via improper access controls, as well as T1558, specifically Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets if credential harvesting is involved through exposed configuration files. Understanding these mappings helps in aligning remediation efforts with broader industry frameworks for vulnerability management and threat intelligence integration.