CVE-2026-70424

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-70424 is an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (Path Traversal) vulnerability affecting Dell OpenManage Enterprise (OME) versions prior to 4.7.0. A low-privileged attacker with remote network access can exploit this flaw to read arbitrary files from the affected server, leading to high confidentiality impact. The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium) with a vector of CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, indicating the attack is network-exploitable, requires low privileges, no user interaction, and broadens the scope of impact beyond the vulnerable component. No public exploit code or PoC has been identified as of this report, and the vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

Technical Analysis

Vulnerability Mechanism

CVE-2026-70424 is categorized under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), commonly referred to as Path Traversal or Directory Traversal. This vulnerability class arises when an application fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input used in file system operations, allowing an attacker to insert traversal sequences (e.g., ../) or absolute paths to escape the intended restricted directory.

Affected Component

The affected product, Dell OpenManage Enterprise, is a systems management and monitoring platform that provides a web-based console for managing Dell servers, chassis, and other infrastructure components. The platform exposes various HTTP endpoints that handle file operations, such as firmware updates, configuration backups, log exports, and report generation. The specific vulnerable endpoint is not disclosed in the NVD description; insufficient technical detail is available to identify the exact function, URL path, or parameter names involved.

Attack Surface

The attack surface is the management web interface of Dell OpenManage Enterprise, accessible over the network. The vulnerability requires authentication (PR:L — Low privilege) but does not require user interaction (UI:N). This implies that any authenticated user with even the lowest tier of access rights could exploit the flaw.

Common path traversal scenarios in such management platforms include:

• File download/report generation features that accept a filename parameter
• Log retrieval endpoints that reference files by relative path
• Configuration export functions that write to user-specified paths

The NVD description does not provide specific implementation details. At the vulnerability-class level, the attacker supplies traversal sequences in a path parameter, causing the application to read a file outside the intended directory, exposing sensitive information such as configuration files, credentials stores, or internal application data.

CVSS Breakdown

The CVSS vector components provide insight into the risk profile:

• Attack Vector (AV:N): Remotely exploitable over the network
• Attack Complexity (AC:L): No special conditions required; the attack is straightforward
• Privileges Required (PR:L): Requires a valid low-privileged account
• User Interaction (UI:N): No victim interaction needed
• Scope (S:U): Impact is contained to the vulnerable component
• Confidentiality (C:H): High impact on data confidentiality
• Integrity (I:N): No impact on data integrity
• Availability (A:N): No impact on availability

Exploitation Scenarios

Attack Chain Overview

No public PoC or exploit code is available for this vulnerability; the attack chain described below is inferred from the vulnerability class and the product's functional characteristics.

Step 1: Reconnaissance and Target Identification

An attacker with valid low-privileged credentials first identifies Dell OpenManage Enterprise instances. This can be accomplished through:

• Banner grabbing on port 443 or port 8443 (common for OME consoles)
• Shodan/Censys queries for Dell OpenManage Enterprise web interfaces
• Network scanning of internal management networks where OME is typically deployed

Step 2: Authentication and Flaw Trigger

The attacker authenticates to the web console using obtained or compromised low-privileged credentials (e.g., a maintenance account, read-only user, or technician account). Once authenticated, the attacker identifies a feature that references files by name or path — typical candidates include:

• Report generation/download endpoints
• Log file viewing functionality
• Backup/restore configuration utilities
• Firmware image management

Step 3: Payload Execution (Vulnerability-Class Level)

The attacker inserts path traversal sequences (../) or absolute paths into the vulnerable parameter. For example, an attacker might submit a request that replaces a legitimate filename with ../../../../etc/shadow or ../../../../etc/passwd, causing the application's file-read routine to traverse out of the intended restricted directory and access system files. The application, lacking sufficient input validation, returns the contents of the specified file in the HTTP response.

Step 4: Post-Exploitation Impact

Successful exploitation results in high confidentiality impact — the attacker can read arbitrary files readable by the service account running the OME application. Potential targets include:

• Operating system configuration files (e.g., /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow)
• Application configuration files containing embedded credentials or API keys
• Database connection strings
• TLS private keys
• Other tenant or user data

The disclosed information can be used for further lateral movement, credential theft, or identity impersonation.

Impact Assessment

Business Impact

Dell OpenManage Enterprise is a centralized management platform typically deployed in enterprise data centers to manage fleets of Dell PowerEdge servers and other Dell infrastructure. A successful exploit:

1. Compromises the management plane: OME holds sensitive operational data, including inventory, health status, and configuration details for all managed devices.
2. Exposes credentials: If the attacker can read application configuration files, they may obtain database credentials, service account passwords, or API tokens, enabling lateral movement across the management infrastructure.
3. Facilitates reconnaissance: Read access to system files aids further targeting of managed servers and the broader infrastructure.

Affected Systems

All Dell OpenManage Enterprise deployments running versions prior to 4.7.0 are potentially affected. This includes:

• Standalone OME installations
• High-availability OME clusters
• OME integrated with OpenManage Enterprise Services (OMES)

Blast Radius

The CVSS scope (S:U) indicates the impact is confined to the vulnerable component; however, the high confidentiality rating (C:H) reflects that the breadth of data accessible is significant. The requirement for low privileges (PR:L) means the exploit is not limited to administrators — any user account with minimal rights can be leveraged.

Detection Guidance

The detection rules below are designed to identify path traversal exploitation attempts against Dell OpenManage Enterprise.

Sigma Rule

title: Dell OpenManage Enterprise Path Traversal Attempt
id: 3f7a2b8e-1c4d-4e5f-9a6b-7c8d9e0f1a2b
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts against Dell OpenManage Enterprise web interface
logsource:
  category: webserver
  product: apache
  service: access_log
detection:
  selection:
    cs-method:
      - 'GET'
      - 'POST'
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - '../'
      - '..%2f'
      - '..%5c'
      - '%2e%2e%2f'
      - '%252e%252e%252f'
      - '..%252f'
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate use of nested paths in web applications
  - Rare administrative functions
level: high
tags:
  - attack.t1083
  - cve.2026-70424
  - cwe.22

YARA Rule

rule Dell_OME_Path_Traversal_CVE_2026_70424
{
    meta:
        author = "Valter Sit Threat Intelligence"
        description = "Detects path traversal patterns in Dell OpenManage Enterprise logs"
        cve = "CVE-2026-70424"
        date = "2026-01-01"
    strings:
        $s1 = "OpenManage" ascii wide nocase
        $s2 = "../" ascii wide
        $s3 = "..\\" ascii wide
        $s4 = "%2e%2e%2f" ascii wide nocase
        $s5 = "..%2f" ascii wide nocase
        $s6 = "/etc/passwd" ascii wide nocase
        $s7 = "/etc/shadow" ascii wide nocase
        $s8 = "webapps" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        $s1 and any of ($s2, $s3, $s4, $s5) and any of ($s6, $s7, $s8)
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (
    msg:"ET EXPLOIT Dell OpenManage Enterprise Path Traversal Attempt (CVE-2026-70424)";
    flow:established,to_server;
    content:"|2e 2e 2f|"; http_uri;
    pcre:"/(\x2e\x2e\x2f|\.\.\/|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%252e%252e%252f)/i";
    classtype:attempted-recon;
    reference:cve,2026-70424;
    sid:20260401;
    rev:1;
    metadata:created_at 2026_01_01, updated_at 2026_01_01;
)

Elastic Detection

// Elastic EQL query for detecting path traversal attempts in HTTP logs
sequence by source.ip
  [network where event.category == "web" and 
   process.name == "httpd" and
   url.path like "*"
   ] with maxspan=10m
   [network where event.category == "web" and
   (url.path like "*../*" or 
    url.path like "*..%2f*" or 
    url.path like "*..\\*" or
    user_agent.name == "*curl*")]

Alternative simpler EQL query:

any where event.category == "web" and
(
  url.path like "*../*" or
  url.path like "*%2e%2e%2f*" or
  url.path like "*..%2f*" or
  url.path like "*%252e%252e%252f*"
) and
url.domain like "*ome*" or url.path like "*OpenManage*"

Splunk SPL Query

index="web_access_logs" sourcetype="access_combined"
| regex uri_path="(\.\./|\.\.%2f|\.\.\\\\|%2e%2e%2f|%252e%252e%252f)"
| stats count by src_ip, uri_path, status, method, UserAgent
| where count > 3
| sort - count

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="web,path_traversal,">
  <rule id="400218" level="12">
    <if_sid>31100</if_sid>
    <match>\.\./|\.\.%2f|\.\.\\\\|%2e%2e%2f</match>
    <regex>OpenManage|ome</regex>
    <description>Dell OpenManage Enterprise path traversal attempt detected (CVE-2026-70424)</description>
    <group>cve-2026-70424,path_traversal,attack_t1083</group>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1083</id>
      <tactic>Discovery</tactic>
    </mitre>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch Confidence Assessment

The patch confidence is rated 2/4 (CLAIMED) — a single source (NVD) indicates that Dell OpenManage Enterprise version 4.7.0 addresses this vulnerability. This has not been independently confirmed through vendor advisories, release notes, or secondary sources. Organizations should verify patch availability through Dell's support portal.

Immediate Mitigations

1. Restrict network access: Limit access to the OME web console to trusted management networks only. Apply IP allow-listing and network segmentation to prevent unauthorized remote access.
2. Enforce principle of least privilege: Review and minimize the number of low-privileged accounts with access to the OME console. Disable dormant accounts and enforce periodic credential rotation.
3. Monitor for suspicious activity: Deploy the detection rules provided above to monitor for path traversal attempts in web access logs.
4. Web Application Firewall (WAF): If a WAF is deployed in front of the OME console, review and enhance rules to block path traversal patterns (../, %2e%2e%2f, etc.).

Patch/Upgrade Steps

1. Verify current OME version via the console's About page or by querying the API.
2. Download Dell OpenManage Enterprise version 4.7.0 or later from Dell's official support portal.
3. Review the upgrade prerequisites and backup the existing configuration prior to upgrade.
4. Schedule the upgrade during a maintenance window, as the process requires a service restart.
5. Post-upgrade validation: Verify the version string, confirm the management console loads correctly, and validate that previously configured alerting and discovery jobs are operational.

Long-Term Hardening

1. Patch management cadence: Implement a formal vulnerability management program with defined SLAs for applying security patches to management infrastructure.
2. Multi-factor authentication: Enforce MFA for all accounts accessing the OME console to reduce the risk of credential compromise leading to low-privileged access.
3. Network segmentation: Place management platforms in a dedicated management VLAN with strict access control lists; do not expose OME to the internet or untrusted networks.
4. Regular security audits: Periodically review user accounts, access rights, and audit logs for anomalous activity.
5. Vendor notification subscription: Subscribe to Dell security advisories to receive timely notifications of future vulnerabilities affecting OpenManage Enterprise.

References

1. NVD Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-70424
2. Dell Security Advisory Portal: https://www.dell.com/support/security/advisories
3. CWE-22 Definition: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html
4. MITRE ATT&CK Technique T1083: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1083/

Additional Notes:

• No evidence of active exploitation in the wild has been observed for this CVE as of this writing.
• The EPSS score of 0.00328 (25.9th percentile) indicates a low probability of near-term exploitation in the wild.
• The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
• No known threat actor campaigns have been publicly attributed to this vulnerability.
• Organizations are advised to monitor Dell's security advisory pages for independent confirmation of the patch release and additional remediation guidance.