CVE-2025-36574: Dell Wyse Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-36574 Overview

CVE-2025-36574 is an Absolute Path Traversal vulnerability [CWE-36] affecting Dell Wyse Management Suite (WMS) versions prior to 5.2. The flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to access files outside the application's intended directory by supplying absolute file paths in requests. Successful exploitation can result in information disclosure and unauthorized access to sensitive resources managed by the WMS server.

Dell published security advisory DSA-2025-226 covering this issue, and the fix is included in Wyse Management Suite 5.2.

Critical Impact

An unauthenticated network attacker can read arbitrary files on the WMS server, exposing configuration data, credentials, and management metadata used to control Dell Wyse thin client fleets.

Affected Products

• Dell Wyse Management Suite versions prior to 5.2
• Deployments exposing the WMS web interface over the network
• Environments managing Dell Wyse thin clients through centralized WMS infrastructure

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-10 - CVE-2025-36574 published to NVD
• 2025-07-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-36574

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied path input in Dell Wyse Management Suite. The application accepts absolute file paths from remote callers without validating that the resolved path remains within an authorized directory. An attacker can submit a fully qualified path and force the server to read its contents.

The issue is exploitable over the network without authentication or user interaction. Attack complexity is low, and the resulting impact targets confidentiality of files accessible to the WMS service account. Integrity impact is limited, and availability is not directly affected.

Dell Wyse Management Suite is the centralized management plane for Wyse thin clients. Files reachable through this flaw can include configuration data, certificates, tokens, and operational artifacts used to provision endpoints. Disclosure of these assets can support follow-on attacks against the broader thin client estate.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing canonicalization and validation of absolute path input [CWE-36]. The application trusts caller-supplied paths and resolves them directly against the filesystem instead of constraining requests to a designated content directory.

Attack Vector

An unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the WMS service containing an absolute path pointing to a target file. The server resolves and returns the file contents. No credentials, session, or user interaction are required.

No verified public proof-of-concept exploit is available at the time of writing. See the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226 for vendor technical guidance.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36574

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to WMS endpoints containing absolute filesystem paths such as C:\ or /etc/ in query parameters, headers, or POST bodies
• Unexpected outbound responses from the WMS server containing configuration files, certificates, or credential material
• Access log entries showing file reads outside the WMS application directory by the service account

Detection Strategies

• Inspect WMS web server access logs for path traversal patterns and absolute path indicators in request parameters
• Deploy web application firewall rules that block absolute path syntax in requests targeting WMS endpoints
• Correlate WMS file access activity with the originating request to identify reads of files outside the expected application scope

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward WMS application and web server logs to a centralized logging or SIEM platform for retention and analysis
• Alert on unauthenticated requests that produce large or sensitive file responses from the WMS service
• Monitor for anomalous network traffic from WMS hosts that may indicate post-exploitation activity against managed thin clients

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36574

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Dell Wyse Management Suite to version 5.2 or later as directed in Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226
• Restrict network access to the WMS management interface to trusted administrative networks only
• Rotate any credentials, API tokens, or certificates that may have resided on the WMS host prior to patching

Patch Information

Dell has released Wyse Management Suite 5.2, which remediates the absolute path traversal flaw. Administrators should consult Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226 for the specific build, upgrade procedure, and verification steps. Apply the update on all on-premises WMS servers.

Workarounds

• Place the WMS server behind a reverse proxy or WAF that blocks requests containing absolute path patterns until patching is complete
• Limit inbound exposure of WMS to administrative VLANs or VPN-only access
• Review filesystem permissions on the WMS host so that the service account cannot read sensitive files outside its required scope

# Example WAF rule concept to block absolute path patterns in WMS requests
# Adjust to your WAF syntax and test before enforcement
SecRule REQUEST_URI|ARGS|REQUEST_HEADERS "@rx (?:^|[?&=/])(?:[A-Za-z]:[\\/]|/(?:etc|var|root|home)/)" \
  "id:1003657,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'Possible CVE-2025-36574 path traversal attempt against WMS'"