CVE-2025-36578: Dell Wyse Management Suite Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-36578 Overview

Dell Wyse Management Suite versions prior to 5.2 contain an incorrect authorization vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-36578. A remote attacker with low privileges can exploit the flaw to gain unauthorized access to resources that should be restricted. The weakness is classified under [CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization]. Dell published remediation guidance in Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226.

Critical Impact
An authenticated low-privileged attacker with network access can bypass authorization checks in Wyse Management Suite, exposing confidentiality and integrity of managed thin-client infrastructure.

Affected Products

Dell Wyse Management Suite versions prior to 5.2
Deployments using the on-premises Wyse Management Suite console
Environments managing Wyse thin clients through the affected WMS release

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-10 - CVE-2025-36578 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-36578

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-36578 is an incorrect authorization flaw in Dell Wyse Management Suite (WMS), Dell's centralized management platform for Wyse thin-client endpoints. The product fails to properly enforce authorization checks on one or more actions accessible to authenticated users. As a result, a user holding only low-level privileges can invoke functionality or access data reserved for higher-privileged roles.

The vulnerability requires network access to the WMS console and valid low-privileged credentials. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality and integrity, while availability is not affected. Dell has not disclosed the specific endpoint or API path affected. No public proof-of-concept exploit or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or improperly implemented authorization logic on privileged operations exposed through the WMS management interface. The application relies on authentication state but does not consistently validate the requester's role or permissions before executing sensitive actions, which is the defining pattern of [CWE-863].

Attack Vector

An attacker with a low-privileged WMS account sends crafted requests to management endpoints that should require elevated roles. Because authorization enforcement is incomplete, the server processes the requests and returns data or performs actions outside the caller's assigned scope. The higher attack complexity reflects specific conditions that must be present for the bypass to succeed.

No verified exploit code is available. See the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226 for vendor-provided technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-36578

Indicators of Compromise

Wyse Management Suite audit-log entries showing low-privileged accounts performing administrative operations or accessing device inventories outside their assigned tenant or group.
Unexpected configuration, policy, or firmware-push events initiated by non-administrator accounts.
Repeated HTTP requests from a single authenticated session against management API paths that normally require elevated roles.

Detection Strategies

Compare WMS role assignments against observed activity and alert on privilege-role mismatches in application logs.
Baseline normal API usage per role and flag deviations, particularly read or write operations against endpoints tied to admin-only functions.
Correlate authentication events with subsequent privileged actions to identify authorization bypass patterns.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward WMS application, IIS, and Windows event logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation.
Enable verbose auditing on the WMS server and monitor changes to device groups, policies, and user roles.
Track outbound connections from the WMS host to detect lateral movement following a successful bypass.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-36578

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Dell Wyse Management Suite to version 5.2 or later as directed by DSA-2025-226.
Audit all WMS user accounts and remove low-privileged accounts that are inactive, shared, or no longer required.
Rotate credentials for any account that may have been used to exercise the vulnerable functionality.

Patch Information

Dell addresses CVE-2025-36578 in Wyse Management Suite 5.2. Administrators should review Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-226 for the applicable upgrade package, prerequisites, and installation steps. Apply the update on the WMS server and validate console functionality after upgrade.

Workarounds

Restrict network reachability of the WMS console to trusted management subnets and administrative jump hosts.
Enforce multi-factor authentication and strong password policies on all WMS accounts to raise the cost of obtaining low-privileged access.
Review and minimize the number of roles and users with any access to the WMS console until the patch is deployed.

bash

# Example: restrict WMS console access with a Windows Firewall rule
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WMS-Console-Restrict" `
  -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443 `
  -RemoteAddress 10.10.20.0/24 -Action Allow