CVE-2026-61411

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-61411 is an insertion of sensitive information into a log file vulnerability (CWE-532) affecting Dell Container Storage Modules versions prior to 1.18.0. A low-privileged attacker with remote access can exploit this flaw to disclose sensitive information, as reflected by the CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.7. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because the CVSS vector indicates a Scope change (S:C) and High confidentiality impact (C:H), meaning leaked data may cross trust boundaries beyond the vulnerable component's security authority.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File. This weakness class occurs when an application writes sensitive data — such as credentials, tokens, session identifiers, internal endpoints, or configuration secrets — into log files that are accessible to actors who should not have visibility into that data.

In the context of Dell Container Storage Modules, the product operates as a Kubernetes storage integration layer, typically deployed as controller and node components (drivers, sidecars, and operators) that manage persistent volume provisioning and attachment. Components of this nature routinely handle storage array credentials, API tokens, and cluster-level secrets during normal operation. When such values are written to log output without masking or redaction, any party able to read those logs gains access to the underlying secrets.

Two primary attack surfaces are relevant given the description's statement that a "low privileged attacker with remote access" can exploit the flaw:

1. Log aggregation and observability pipelines. Kubernetes-native deployments commonly forward container stdout/stderr to cluster-wide logging systems (for example, node-level log collectors or centralized logging backends). A low-privileged user with read access to namespaces, log-viewing RBAC permissions, or the logging backend can retrieve secrets that were improperly logged.

2. Direct log file or API access. Depending on deployment, container logs may be retrievable through the Kubernetes API (pod log endpoints) by any principal holding pods/log permissions. A low-privileged authenticated user with such permissions can read the leaked data remotely without any special exploit tooling.

The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N describes this precisely: network-reachable, low attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, scope change, high confidentiality impact, and no integrity or availability impact. The scope change is significant — the leaked information (for example, storage backend credentials) can be used to compromise components outside the vulnerable Container Storage Modules component itself, elevating the effective risk beyond a simple information leak.

Notably, the available intelligence does not disclose the specific log file names, log fields, code paths, or the exact type of secret leaked. Those implementation details are not established by the provided data and should not be assumed.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public proof-of-concept, Nuclei template, or exploit code is available for CVE-2026-61411 as of this report. The attack chain below is inferred from the vulnerability class (CWE-532) and the CVSS characterization; it avoids fabricating implementation specifics not present in the source data.

1. Reconnaissance / target identification. An attacker identifies a Kubernetes cluster running Dell Container Storage Modules at a version below 1.18.0. This may be done by fingerprinting exposed management interfaces, enumerating cluster workloads, or identifying the deployed CSI driver and operator components from within an environment where the attacker already holds low-privileged access.

2. Triggering the flaw. The vulnerability is triggered during normal operation of the affected components. Because the weakness is an insertion of sensitive information into a log file, the logging occurs as the modules process routine storage operations that involve secrets. The attacker does not necessarily need to cause an unusual condition — the sensitive data is written to logs as part of the component's normal logging behavior. The attacker's role is to gain read access to those logs.

3. Payload / access method at the vulnerability-class level. Using a low-privileged remote position (for example, an authenticated account with RBAC permissions sufficient to read pod logs or access the centralized logging system), the attacker retrieves log content containing improperly recorded sensitive information. No code execution, injection, or memory corruption is involved; the exploitation is purely a confidentiality breach through over-permissive log exposure.

4. Post-exploitation impact. The disclosed secrets — potentially storage credentials, API tokens, or other sensitive operational data — can be leveraged to access storage backends, escalate privileges within the cluster, or move laterally into connected infrastructure. Because the CVSS vector reflects a Scope change, the compromise can extend to systems beyond the originally affected component.

Impact Assessment

• Confidentiality: High (C:H). Sensitive information is disclosed to a low-privileged remote attacker, potentially including credentials or tokens that grant access to storage systems or cluster resources.
• Integrity: None (I:N). The vulnerability does not permit modification of data.
• Availability: None (A:N). There is no denial-of-service component.
• Scope: Changed (S:C). Exploitation can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component's security scope — a leaked credential may grant access to a broader storage or orchestration environment than the module itself.
• Base Score: 7.7 (High). The combination of network reachability, low complexity, low privileges, and high confidentiality impact drives the elevated severity.

Blast radius. Organizations running Dell Container Storage Modules below 1.18.0 in multi-tenant or shared-logging environments are most at risk. Because log data is frequently aggregated and made broadly accessible for troubleshooting, the practical exposure can extend far beyond the number of direct module instances. A leaked storage credential can compromise the integrity of the persistent storage layer across many workloads.

Business impact. Data exposure of storage-layer secrets can lead to unauthorized access to business-critical data volumes, regulatory and compliance violations depending on the data stored, and the potential for lateral movement into the broader virtualized or cloud infrastructure connected to the storage backend.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Potential Dell Container Storage Modules Sensitive Information Disclosure via Log Access
id: 8f2c1a44-6b7e-4d1e-9c3a-2f5e6d7a8b90
status: experimental
description: Detects access to container logs from Dell Container Storage Modules components that may contain improperly logged sensitive information (CVE-2026-61411).
references:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61411
author: Threat Intelligence
date: 2026/01/01
tags:
  - attack.t1552
  - cve.2026.61411
logsource:
  product: kubernetes
  service: audit
detection:
  selection_verb:
    verb:
      - get
      - list
  selection_resource:
    objectRef.resource:
      - pods
    objectRef.subresource:
      - log
  selection_namespace:
    objectRef.namespace|contains:
      - csi
      - storage
      - dell
  condition: selection_verb and selection_resource and selection_namespace
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative troubleshooting of storage pods
  - Authorized log collection agents
level: medium

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_61411_Dell_CSM_Secret_Log_Exposure
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects log files containing indicators of improperly logged sensitive data from Dell Container Storage Modules (CVE-2026-61411)"
        author = "Threat Intelligence"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61411"
        cve = "CVE-2026-61411"

    strings:
        $csm1 = "container-storage-modules" nocase
        $csm2 = "csi-driver" nocase
        $log1 = "password"
        $log2 = "secret"
        $log3 = "token"
        $log4 = "apikey"
        $cred1 = "username=" nocase
        $cred2 = "password=" nocase
        $cred3 = "Bearer " nocase

    condition:
        (uint16(0) == 0x0a0d or true) and
        $csm1 and
        (1 of ($log1, $log2, $log3, $log4)) and
        (1 of ($cred1, $cred2, $cred3))
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-61411 Dell Container Storage Modules Potential Log-Based Secret Exposure"; flow:established,to_client; content:"csi-driver"; http_uri; content:"log"; http_uri; content:"token"; nocase; http_server_body; sid:202661411; rev:1; reference:cve,2026-61411; classtype:attempted-recon; metadata:affected_product Dell_Container_Storage_Modules, attack_target Server, deployment Datacenter, tag CVE_2026_61411;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by user.name with maxspan=5m
  [process where event.type == "start" and process.name in ("kubectl", "oc")]
  [process where event.type == "start" and process.args : "*logs*" and process.args : "csi"]

Splunk SPL Query

index=kubernetes sourcetype=kube:apiserver:audit verb=get objectRef.subresource=log
| search objectRef.namespace=*csi* OR objectRef.namespace=*storage* OR objectRef.namespace=*dell*
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by user.username objectRef.namespace objectRef.name src_ip
| where count > 0
| convert ctime(firstTime) ctime(lastTime)
| sort - count

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="kubernetes,dell,cve_2026_61411,">
  <rule id="100614" level="8">
    <decoded_as>json</decoded_as>
    <field name="verb">get|list</field>
    <field name="objectRef.subresource">log</field>
    <field name="objectRef.namespace" type="pcre2">(?i)csi|storage|dell</field>
    <description>CVE-2026-61411: Potential access to Dell Container Storage Modules logs containing sensitive information</description>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1552</id>
    </mitre>
    <group>cve_2026_61411,</group>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 (UNPATCHED — no patch evidence from any tracked source).

1) Immediate mitigations

• Restrict access to container logs. Apply least-privilege RBAC so that only authorized operators hold pods/log permissions, and limit which namespaces and log backends low-privileged accounts can read.
• Segment logging pipelines. Ensure logs from Dell Container Storage Modules components are not aggregated into broadly accessible logging systems, or are subject to strict access controls and retention.
• Monitor and audit log-read activity targeting storage-related components, using the detection rules above.
• If sensitive values are believed to have been exposed, rotate storage credentials, API tokens, and any other secrets that could have been written to affected logs.

2) Patch / upgrade steps

• The affected range is Dell Container Storage Modules versions prior to 1.18.0. Upgrade to version 1.18.0 or later.
• Validate patch availability directly with Dell support and the Dell Container Storage Modules release notes before deploying, since no patch artifact was confirmed through tracked sources at the time of this report.
• Coordinate upgrades through the container platform's deployment tooling, and verify all controller and node components are updated consistently.

3) Long-term hardening

• Implement log redaction and secret masking at the application and pipeline level so that credentials and tokens are never written to log output in cleartext.
• Adopt centralized secret management (for example, external secret stores) to reduce the operational need to log sensitive values.
• Enforce least-privilege RBAC and periodic access reviews for logging and observability systems.
• Maintain a vulnerability management cadence that tracks vendor advisories for storage platform components, and deploy monitoring to detect anomalous log-read patterns.

References

• NVD — CVE-2026-61411: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61411
• CWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/532.html
• Dell Container Storage Modules documentation and release notes: https://dell.github.io/csm-docs/
• MITRE ATT&CK T1552 — Unsecured Credentials: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/
• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (CVE-2026-61411 not listed as of this report): https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or evidence of active exploitation in the wild was identified for CVE-2026-61411 at the time of writing.