CVE-2026-44276 Overview
CVE-2026-44276 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the Dell PowerProtect Data Manager REST API. The flaw affects versions prior to 20.2.0.0 and is categorized under [CWE-200] Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor. A high-privileged attacker with local access can retrieve sensitive information from the affected system through the REST API.
The vulnerability requires local access and elevated privileges, limiting mass exploitation potential. However, the scope is marked as changed, meaning the exposed information can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component. Dell addressed the issue in security advisory DSA-2026-287.
Critical Impact
A local attacker with high privileges can exploit the REST API to access sensitive information belonging to other components or users, breaking confidentiality boundaries within the PowerProtect Data Manager environment.
Affected Products
- Dell PowerProtect Data Manager versions prior to 20.2.0.0
- REST API component of PowerProtect Data Manager
- Backup and recovery workloads managed by affected PowerProtect instances
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-22 - CVE-2026-44276 published to NVD
- 2026-07-22 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-44276
Vulnerability Analysis
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is an enterprise data protection platform that exposes management functionality through a REST API. The vulnerability resides in how the REST API handles sensitive information access, permitting a locally authenticated attacker with high privileges to retrieve data that should be restricted.
The issue is classified as [CWE-200] Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor. The scope change indicates that a successful exploit affects resources beyond the vulnerable component itself. Confidentiality impact is high, while integrity and availability remain unaffected.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient authorization or filtering on specific REST API endpoints. Requests processed by these endpoints return data that the requesting principal should not be able to view. Because the interaction requires local access and elevated privileges, the weakness likely involves boundaries between administrative roles or between tenants managed by the same instance rather than an unauthenticated exposure.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an attacker to already hold high-privileged credentials on the local system hosting PowerProtect Data Manager. The attacker interacts with the REST API through locally accessible interfaces and issues crafted requests to endpoints that return sensitive information without properly enforcing access boundaries. No user interaction is required, and the attack complexity is low once local privileged access is established.
The vulnerability manifests through legitimate REST API calls whose response payloads include data that should be filtered. Refer to Dell Security Update DSA-2026-287 for vendor-provided technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-44276
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual volumes of REST API GET requests from privileged local accounts targeting information-returning endpoints on PowerProtect Data Manager.
- REST API access log entries showing privileged users querying resources outside their normal administrative scope.
- Authentication events for high-privileged accounts followed by broad enumeration of API objects.
Detection Strategies
- Enable and centralize PowerProtect Data Manager REST API audit logs, and baseline expected request patterns for each administrative role.
- Alert on privileged sessions that enumerate large numbers of API resources within short time windows.
- Correlate local logon events on the PowerProtect Data Manager host with subsequent REST API activity to detect misuse of administrative credentials.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward PowerProtect Data Manager logs to a centralized SIEM or data lake for retention and correlation with identity events.
- Monitor for configuration or version drift indicating that hosts remain below 20.2.0.0 after the patch window.
- Review administrator account inventory and remove or restrict accounts that do not require high privileges on the appliance.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-44276
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Dell PowerProtect Data Manager to version 20.2.0.0 or later as directed by DSA-2026-287.
- Inventory all PowerProtect Data Manager instances and confirm current versions against the fixed release.
- Restrict local and administrative access to the PowerProtect Data Manager host to a minimum set of trusted operators.
Patch Information
Dell released fixes in PowerProtect Data Manager 20.2.0.0. Full remediation guidance and download references are available in Dell Security Update DSA-2026-287.
Workarounds
- Enforce least privilege on PowerProtect Data Manager administrative accounts until patching is complete.
- Limit network reachability of the management interface to trusted administrative subnets and jump hosts.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for all administrative logons to reduce the risk of credential compromise leading to local privileged access.
# Verify installed PowerProtect Data Manager version and confirm it meets or exceeds the fixed release
ssh admin@ppdm-host "grep -i version /etc/dell/ppdm/version.properties"
# Expected output should indicate version 20.2.0.0 or later
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
