CVE-2026-26948: Dell iDRAC Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-26948 Overview

CVE-2026-26948 is a Debug Information Disclosure vulnerability affecting Dell Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 (iDRAC9). The vulnerability exists due to uncleared debug information that can expose sensitive system information to attackers. A high privileged attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability to gain access to confidential system data that should not be accessible.

Critical Impact

High privileged attackers with network access can extract sensitive system information through exposed debug data, potentially compromising the confidentiality of server management infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Dell iDRAC9 14G versions prior to 7.00.00.174
• Dell iDRAC9 15G versions prior to 7.10.90.00
• Dell iDRAC9 16G versions prior to 7.10.90.00

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-18 - CVE CVE-2026-26948 published to NVD
• 2026-03-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-26948

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper handling of debug information within the Dell iDRAC9 firmware. The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is a critical out-of-band management platform that provides remote server administration capabilities, including hardware monitoring, virtual console access, and power management.

The flaw is classified under CWE-1258 (Exposure of Sensitive System Information Due to Uncleared Debug Information), which occurs when debug code or functionality remains in production releases, inadvertently exposing internal system details. In this case, sensitive system information persists in memory or accessible storage areas that should have been cleared before deployment.

While exploitation requires high privileges and remote network access, successful attacks could reveal sensitive configuration data, internal system states, or other confidential information about the server infrastructure. This type of information disclosure can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks against enterprise server environments.

Root Cause

The root cause is CWE-1258 - Exposure of Sensitive System Information Due to Uncleared Debug Information. The iDRAC firmware fails to properly sanitize or remove debug information before production deployment, leaving sensitive system data accessible to authenticated administrators who may have malicious intent or whose credentials have been compromised.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an attacker to have high privileges on the target iDRAC system. The exploitation path involves:

1. An attacker with administrative credentials gains remote access to the iDRAC web interface or API
2. Through specific requests or by accessing certain debug endpoints, the attacker can retrieve system information that should have been cleared
3. The exposed debug information may contain sensitive data about the server configuration, internal states, or other confidential details

The vulnerability does not require user interaction and operates within an unchanged scope, affecting only the confidentiality of the vulnerable component without impacting integrity or availability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-26948

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual administrative access patterns to iDRAC management interfaces
• Unexpected API calls or requests to debug-related endpoints
• Anomalous data exfiltration from management network segments
• Suspicious authentication events from high-privileged iDRAC accounts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor iDRAC access logs for unusual administrative session activity
• Implement network monitoring on management VLANs to detect abnormal traffic patterns
• Deploy intrusion detection rules for anomalous iDRAC API access patterns
• Audit privileged account usage and correlate with expected administrative tasks

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging on all iDRAC instances and forward to centralized SIEM
• Implement alerting for off-hours administrative access to iDRAC interfaces
• Monitor for bulk data retrieval or repeated queries to management endpoints
• Establish baselines for normal iDRAC administrative activity to detect deviations

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-26948

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Dell iDRAC9 14G firmware to version 7.00.00.174 or later
• Update Dell iDRAC9 15G and 16G firmware to version 7.10.90.00 or later
• Audit all privileged iDRAC accounts and revoke unnecessary access
• Isolate iDRAC management interfaces on dedicated, segmented networks

Patch Information

Dell has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Detailed patch information and firmware downloads are available in the Dell Security Update DSA-2026-113. Organizations should prioritize firmware updates for all affected iDRAC versions and verify successful deployment through asset inventory audits.

Workarounds

• Restrict iDRAC network access to authorized management systems only using firewall rules
• Implement multi-factor authentication for all iDRAC administrative access
• Minimize the number of accounts with high-privilege iDRAC access
• Enable audit logging and regularly review for suspicious activity
• Consider disabling remote access to iDRAC until patches can be applied in highly sensitive environments

# Example: Restrict iDRAC access via network firewall (iptables)
# Allow only specific management workstations to access iDRAC HTTPS interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.100.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Verify current iDRAC firmware version via racadm
racadm getversion