Overview
The cybersecurity community has recently identified a critical vulnerability in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager versions 19.19 and 19.20, Hyper-V. This vulnerability, CVE-2025-43884, could potentially allow a high privileged attacker with local access to execute commands on the operating system, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage. Given the severity of this vulnerability, it’s important for all organizations using the affected versions of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager to understand the potential risks, and take immediate steps to mitigate the threat.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-43884
Severity: High (8.2 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: None
Impact: Command execution, potential system compromise, and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager | Version 19.19, 19.20
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system command within Dell’s PowerProtect Data Manager. An attacker with high privileges and local access to the system could exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious commands. These commands could potentially lead to unauthorized access, system compromise, or data leakage, depending on the nature of the injected command and the configuration of the system.
Conceptual Example Code
The following pseudocode is a conceptual example of how a command injection might be performed:
$ echo 'malicious_command' > /path/to/vulnerable/input/file
$ /path/to/DellPowerProtectDataMgr --input /path/to/vulnerable/input/fileIn this example, a malicious command is written to an input file that the Dell PowerProtect Data Manager reads from. When the Manager reads the file, it executes the malicious command, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, users of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager should apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. Until the patch is available, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) may provide temporary mitigation. These systems can be configured to block or alert on attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations are also advised to follow the principle of least privilege, ensuring that systems and users have only the permissions necessary to perform their tasks, limiting the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.
