CVE-2026-70422

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-70422 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in Dell OpenManage Enterprise (OME) affecting all versions prior to 4.7.0. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, allowing a low-privileged attacker with remote network access to inject malicious SQL fragments into backend database queries. Successful exploitation leads to Script injection, which can result in high confidentiality impact and high availability impact, as reflected in the CVSS score of 8.1. Organizations running OME versions below 4.7.0 in exposed management networks should treat this as a high-priority risk and apply the vendor upgrade to 4.7.0 as soon as possible.

Technical Analysis

Dell OpenManage Enterprise is a systems management console that provides centralized lifecycle management, monitoring, and firmware/configuration updates for Dell PowerEdge servers, chassis, storage, and network devices. It exposes a web-based management interface, typically running over HTTPS, and is commonly deployed in enterprise data centers and server rooms.

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command — 'SQL Injection'). The NVD description states that Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions prior to 4.7.0 contain this flaw, which a low-privileged attacker with remote access could exploit to inject SQL commands. The secondary impact — "Script injection" — indicates that the injection chain may go beyond simple data exfiltration, potentially allowing the injection of scriptable payloads interpreted by the backend database engine or by downstream components.

The root cause is the application's failure to parameterize or sanitize user-supplied input before concatenating it into SQL queries. Any web-facing endpoint that accepts query parameters, form fields, or JSON payloads can be a potential injection vector. Because the attack requires only low privileges (PR:L), the vulnerable endpoints are accessible to any authenticated user with a basic role, not just administrators. This widens the attack surface considerably.

The CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H) reveals:

• Attack Vector: Network — exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low — no special conditions are required.
• Privileges Required: Low — an authenticated but low-privileged account is sufficient.
• User Interaction: None — no victim interaction is needed.
• Scope: Unchanged — the compromise remains within the affected component.
• Confidentiality: High — full disclosure of database contents likely achievable.
• Integrity: None (per vector) — direct write of data may not be possible via the primary vector, but the "Script injection" note suggests an indirect path.
• Availability: High — the attacker can disrupt service, possibly by deleting or corrupting database records, or by injecting destructive stored procedures.

The CVE description does not specify the vulnerable URI paths, parameter names, or code functions. As such, technical details below the class level are limited. Nevertheless, the mechanism can be understood generically: the application builds SQL queries using string concatenation of unsanitized input, enabling classic boolean-based, union-based, or time-based blind SQL injection, depending on the context of the vulnerable query and the database engine's error reporting.

No PoC or exploit code has been publicly disclosed. The EPSS score has not yet been assigned by FIRST.org, and the CISA KEV catalog does not list this CVE, indicating no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation as of the writing of this report.

Exploitation Scenarios

Since no public exploit code or detailed technical write-up is available, the attack chain below is inferred from the vulnerability class (SQL injection) and the NVD description. All steps are described at the class level and do not introduce fabricated implementation specifics.

Step 1 — Reconnaissance / Target Identification: An attacker enumerates the internal or external network for open management ports associated with Dell OpenManage Enterprise. The web management interface typically listens on TCP 443 or optionally on TCP 162 (HTTPS). Shodan or masscan can be used to identify systems with titles such as "Dell OpenManage" or similar server banners. Once an OME instance is identified, the attacker enumerates usernames to obtain a low-privileged credential (e.g., via default credentials, credential stuffing, or OSINT-based phishing). Given the low privilege requirement, even a read-only user or monitored-user role is sufficient to reach the injection point.

Step 2 — Triggering the Flaw: After authentication, the attacker interacts with web-accessible features that accept user-supplied parameters — for example, inventory filters, search queries, reporting filters, device group selectors, or job-tracking queries. The attacker submits a normal request and records the baseline response. Then they alter a parameter to inject a single quote (') or a SQL comment sequence (-- or /*...*/) to test for abnormal responses (error pages, changed HTTP status codes, or differential response content). A time-based or boolean-based test confirms the injection point without requiring verbose database error messages. This step validates that the vulnerable endpoint concatenates unescaped input into a SQL statement.

Step 3 — Payload Execution at the Vulnerability-Class Level: The attacker crafts a SQL injection payload that terminates the current query and appends an additional query or condition. Depending on the database backend (likely MySQL, but possibly PostgreSQL or MSSQL), payloads may include:

• Union-based extraction: ' UNION SELECT ... -- to retrieve sensitive columns.
• Boolean-based blind: ' AND (SELECT ...) = 1 -- to infer data.
• Time-based blind: ' AND SLEEP(5) -- to confirm execution and enable slow data extraction.

The "Script injection" secondary effect in the NVD description suggests that the attacker may be able to insert scriptable content — e.g., a web shell, a stored XSS payload, or OS-level commands via xp_cmdshell-style interfaces (if the database account has sufficient privileges) — that subsequently executes on the application server or database host. This would elevate the impact beyond data theft.

Step 4 — Post-Exploitation Impact: With confirmed SQL injection, the attacker can:

• Confidentiality (High): Extract the entire database contents, including device credentials, IPMI/BMC credentials, cache of other users' passwords, firmware inventory, network topology, and configuration backups. This can yield further lateral movement into the managed infrastructure.
• Availability (High): Execute destructive SQL statements (DROP, TRUNCATE, UPDATE) to corrupt inventory data, disable management functions, or trigger cascading errors that render the OME instance unusable. In some scenarios, the attacker may also leverage the database account's privileges to write files to the filesystem, enabling chronic denial of service or ransomware.
• Lateral Movement: Leaked device management credentials can be used to access iDRAC/BMC interfaces of PowerEdge servers, enabling out-of-band management takeover, firmware bricking, or further network pivot.

Note: No public PoC is available; the attack chain is inferred from the vulnerability class. The actual impact surface may vary based on the database user privileges and the specific OME feature that is vulnerable.

Impact Assessment

Dell OpenManage Enterprise is a critical out-of-band management appliance for operations teams, containing a centralized view of server health, firmware, and configuration. Compromising it gives an attacker a high-value vantage point into the data center management plane.

Business Impact:

• Data Breach: The database contains centralized administrative credentials and inventory details for potentially hundreds or thousands of managed nodes. Exfiltration of this data constitutes a severe compliance breach (PCI, SOX, HIPAA, etc.).
• Operational Disruption: A successful availability attack can render the management console inert, breaking monitoring, firmware update workflows, and remote provisioning — directly impacting business continuity in an outage scenario.
• Reputation & Legal: A breach of a management console is a top-tier security incident and may trigger regulatory reporting obligations.

Affected Systems:

• All Dell OpenManage Enterprise appliances running versions prior to 4.7.0.
• Enterprises using OME as their primary interface for server lifecycle management.
• Air-gapped or semi-isolated data-center networks are still at risk if the OME console is reachable via VPN or jump-host credentials.

Blast Radius: Given CVSS of 8.1 (High), a low-privileged attacker with network access can cause high confidentiality and availability damage without requiring interaction. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the attacker cannot directly switch to another component via a scope change; however, the leaked credentials from the database can facilitate secondary intrusions outside the OME scope.

Detection Guidance

The below detection guidance targets SQL injection attempts and post-exploitation activity against Dell OpenManage Enterprise. Adjust the filters based on your network context (e.g., use the internal OME IP address instead of %HOST%).

Sigma Rule

title: Dell OpenManage Enterprise SQL Injection Attempt
id: 7f81d03a-1111-4b2b-9e2b-0f5a1c2d3e4f
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting Dell OpenManage Enterprise web interface.
author: ValtersIT Threat Intelligence
date: 2026/01/01
logsource:
  category: webserver
  product: apache_http # adjust to actual reverse proxy (nginx, IIS)
  service: access_combined
detection:
  selection_host:
    cs-host|endswith:
      - '.ome.local'   # adjust to OME FQDN
      - 'openmanage*'
  selection_method:
    cs-method:
      - 'GET'
      - 'POST'
  selection_body:
    cs-uri-query|contains|all:
      - 'select'
      - 'union'
      - 'drop'
      - 'sleep('
  selection_body2:
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - "'"
      - '%27'
      - '/*'
      - '-- '
  condition: selection_host and selection_method and (selection_body or selection_body2)
  timeframe: 10m
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate use of SQL keywords in search/filter functionality (rare)
  - Security scanners hitting known false positives
level: high
tags:
  - attack.t1190
  - cve.2026.70422
  - cwe.89

YARA Rule

rule Dell_OpenManage_SQLi_2026_70422 {
    meta:
        author = "ValtersIT Threat Intelligence"
        description = "Detects exploit payloads targeting CVE-2026-70422 SQLi in Dell OpenManage Enterprise"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        cve = "CVE-2026-70422"
        score = 60
    strings:
        $a = "select" nocase
        $b = "union" nocase
        $c = "sleep(" nocase
        $d = "benchmark(" nocase
        $e = "' or" nocase
        $f = "/*" 
        $g = "--" 
        $h = "openmanage" nocase
        $i = "/login" nocase
    condition:
        (any of ($a,$b,$c,$d,$e,$f,$g) and $h) or (any of ($a,$b,$c,$d) and $i)
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (msg:"Dell OpenManage Enterprise SQL Injection Attempt (CVE-2026-70422)"; flow:established,to_server; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"/api/"; http_uri; nocase; content:"select"; http_uri; nocase; content:"union"; http_uri; nocase; classtype:attempted-user; sid:2026000001; rev:1; reference:url,https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-70422;)

Note: Adjust content:"/api/" to the actual URI pattern of the OME front controller once more specific details are published. The above rule matches generic SELECT ... UNION patterns in the URI/payload of API requests.

Elastic Detection

sequence by destination.ip with maxspan=5m
  [network where destination.port == 443 and network.direction == "egress"]
  [http where 
     url.path contains "openmanage" or url.path contains "omm" or url.path contains "login" or url.domain contains "ome" or
     (url.query contains "select" and url.query contains "union") or
     (url.query contains "*" and url.query contains "--") or
     (url.query contains "sleep" and url.query contains "(")
  ] 
| stats count(event.type) as event_count by destination.ip
| where event_count > 5

Note: This EQL rule triggers on unusual HTTP request patterns originating from a single client to the OME host. Tune thresholds to your environment.

Splunk SPL Query

index=web sourcetype=access_combined dest_ip=YOUR_OME_IP
| eval is_sqli = if(match(uri_query, "(?i)(select|union|drop|sleep\\()") OR match(uri_query, "(\\'|%27|--|/\\*)") , 1, 0)
| stats count as attack_attempts by src_ip, uri
| where attack_attempts > 3
| table _time, src_ip, uri, attack_attempts

Note: Replace YOUR_OME_IP with the internal IP of the OpenManage Enterprise appliance. Increase the threshold if you see noisy scanners.

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="dell_openmanage,">
  <rule id="120422" level="12">
    <decoded_as>apache</decoded_as>
    <match>openmanage|omm</match>
    <regex>(\bselect\b.*\bunion\b)|(\bsleep\s*\()|(\%27|'|--|\/\*)</regex>
    <description>Dell OpenManage Enterprise SQL Injection attempt (CVE-2026-70422)</description>
    <group>attack.t1190,</group>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1190</id>
    </mitre>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch Confidence: 0/4 — UNPATCHED — no patch evidence from any tracked source.

The vendor has not released a public security advisory, CVE notice, or direct download link visible to threat intelligence tracking. However, the NVD description states that versions prior to 4.7.0 are vulnerable, implying that Dell has addressed the flaw in OpenManage Enterprise version 4.7.0 (released as a future/maintenance release). Organizations should prioritize upgrading to 4.7.0 when it becomes generally available.

Immediate Mitigations (until patch is applied):

1. Restrict network access: Place the OME console on a dedicated management VLAN with strict firewall rules allowing only trusted jump-host/admin segments. Block direct access from user LANs and the internet.
2. Enforce MFA and least privilege: Ensure all accounts, especially low-privileged roles, require MFA. Disable any default accounts. Review and limit role assignments so that the lowest-tier users cannot reach sensitive endpoints.
3. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a WAF in front of the OME console with SQLi signature rules (e.g., ModSecurity CRS). Enforce rate limiting on API endpoints to slow down brute-force and injection attempts.
4. Monitor aggressively: Enable detailed audit logging for the OME appliance, centralize logs, and alert on the detection rules above.
5. Database account hardening: If possible, restrict the DB account used by OME to least-privileged operations (read-only for web-tier processes), preventing DROP/TRUNCATE/SLEEP commands.

Patch/Upgrade Steps:

1. Verify current version: OME UI → About/Help → build version. Confirm it is below 4.7.0.
2. Download Dell OpenManage Enterprise version 4.7.0 from Dell Support when available (check Dell.com/support, update catalog, or use the built-in OME update mechanism).
3. Back up the OME database and configuration (export backup to external storage) before upgrading.
4. Schedule maintenance window; apply the upgrade per Dell's documentation.
5. Post-upgrade: validate core functionality (inventory, job scheduling, reporting) and re-apply firewall/ACL restrictions if changed.

Long-Term Hardening:

• Segregate management plane: Keep OME and related out-of-band management tools on an isolated network segment with strict egress controls.
• Rotate all managed-node credentials (iDRAC/BMC) after patching to revoke any attacker-extracted secrets.
• Implement continuous vulnerability scanning of management appliances using authenticated scans to detect missing patches.
• Establish a patch SLA for management consoles — they should be patched within 7 days of advisory release given their criticality.
• Adopt "deny-by-default" network policy for management interfaces: no direct inbound access from user subnets.

References

1. NVD Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-70422 — Official NVD record with CVSS vector and description.
2. Dell Support (Advisory expected): https://www.dell.com/support/security — Dell Security Advisories page; monitor for the official advisory tied to CVE-2026-70422.
3. CWE-89 Reference: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/89.html — Mitre CWE page for SQL Injection class description.
4. CISA KEV Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog — Not listed as of the writing date; recheck periodically for in-the-wild exploitation updates.
5. Dell OpenManage Enterprise Documentation: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000174380/dell-openmanage-enterprise — Product documentation and version history, useful for verifying the 4.7.0 release notes.

Threat Actor Activity Evidence: As of the report writing date, there is no public evidence of in-the-wild exploitation, exploit kits, or ransomware campaigns targeting CVE-2026-70422. However, SQL injection vulnerabilities in enterprise management consoles are historically weaponized within 1–3 months of disclosure once a working PoC circulates. Organizations are advised to patch proactively rather than waiting for proof of exploitation.