CVE-2026-28262: Dell iDRAC Tools Link Following Vulnerability

CVE-2026-28262 Overview

CVE-2026-28262 affects Dell iDRAC Tools versions prior to 11.4.1.0. The flaw is an Improper Link Resolution Before File Access vulnerability, commonly known as a Link Following weakness [CWE-59]. A local attacker with low privileges can exploit the issue to tamper with files outside of their normal access scope. Successful exploitation requires user interaction and high attack complexity, but it leads to high impact on integrity and availability.

Critical Impact
A low-privileged local attacker can manipulate symbolic links to redirect file operations performed by iDRAC Tools, resulting in information tampering and potential disruption of system availability.

Affected Products

Dell iDRAC Tools versions prior to 11.4.1.0
Systems running Dell Integrated Remote Access Controller management utilities
Endpoints used by administrators to manage Dell PowerEdge servers

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-09 - CVE-2026-28262 published to NVD
2026-06-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-28262

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how Dell iDRAC Tools resolves file paths before performing file operations. The utility follows symbolic or hard links without verifying that the resolved target is within an expected, trusted location. An attacker on the local system can pre-position links that point to sensitive files. When iDRAC Tools subsequently performs a privileged file operation, it operates on the attacker-controlled target instead of the intended file.

The issue is classified under [CWE-59]: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access. Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold a low-privileged account on the host. The attack complexity is high because timing and user interaction are required to trigger the vulnerable file access. When successful, the attacker can overwrite or modify files the iDRAC Tools process can reach with its elevated context.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of link validation prior to file access operations in iDRAC Tools. The application does not check whether a path component is a symbolic link or whether the resolved target lies outside of the expected directory. This permits link-following attacks against any file the privileged process touches.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local. An authenticated low-privileged user creates a symbolic link in a directory that iDRAC Tools reads from or writes to. The attacker then induces a higher-privileged user to run an iDRAC Tools operation. The tool dereferences the malicious link and performs the file action against the attacker-chosen target, producing integrity loss and possible availability impact.

No public proof-of-concept or exploit code is currently available for CVE-2026-28262. See the Dell Security Update Advisory for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-28262

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected symbolic links in directories used by Dell iDRAC Tools, particularly temporary or log directories
Modifications to system or configuration files immediately following iDRAC Tools execution by a privileged user
File metadata changes (ownership, ACLs) on files outside the iDRAC Tools working directory

Detection Strategies

Monitor file creation events for symlink() and CreateSymbolicLink calls by low-privileged users in paths consumed by iDRAC Tools
Audit process execution chains where iDRAC Tools runs under elevated context after recent file system changes by standard users
Alert on iDRAC Tools writing to files outside its documented installation and working directories

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable file integrity monitoring on directories accessed by iDRAC Tools and on sensitive system files that iDRAC Tools could touch
Collect endpoint telemetry for symbolic link creation events and correlate with subsequent privileged process activity
Track installed iDRAC Tools versions across managed endpoints to identify hosts still running versions prior to 11.4.1.0

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-28262

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Dell iDRAC Tools to version 11.4.1.0 or later on all systems where the utility is installed
Restrict local interactive access to systems running iDRAC Tools to trusted administrators only
Audit existing iDRAC Tools working directories for pre-positioned symbolic links before next privileged execution

Patch Information

Dell has published a fix in iDRAC Tools 11.4.1.0. Refer to the Dell Security Update Advisory DSA-2026-239 for download links and remediation details.

Workarounds

Limit membership in local user groups on systems where iDRAC Tools is executed by administrators
Run iDRAC Tools only from directories that are not writable by low-privileged users
Apply strict file system ACLs on temporary and configuration directories used by iDRAC Tools to prevent symlink creation by standard users

bash

# Verify installed iDRAC Tools version on Linux
rpm -qa | grep -i idrac-tools

# Tighten permissions on iDRAC Tools working directory
chown root:root /opt/dell/srvadmin/idrac
chmod 750 /opt/dell/srvadmin/idrac