CVE-2026-46463 Overview
CVE-2026-46463 is an integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability [CWE-190] affecting Dell PowerProtect Data Domain. The flaw resides in the Dell Data Domain Operating System (DDOS) and can be reached over the network without authentication. A remote attacker who successfully triggers the overflow can cause a denial-of-service condition on the appliance, disrupting backup and recovery operations.
Dell published the advisory DSA-2026-278 on July 3, 2026, addressing this issue alongside other vulnerabilities in the same product family. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (Medium) and an EPSS probability of 0.243%.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can trigger a denial-of-service on Dell PowerProtect Data Domain appliances, disrupting enterprise backup and data protection workflows.
Affected Products
- Dell PowerProtect Data Domain versions 7.7.1.0 through 8.7
- Dell PowerProtect Data Domain LTS2026 versions 8.6.1.0 through 8.6.1.10, and LTS2025 versions 8.3.1.0 through 8.3.1.30
- Dell PowerProtect Data Domain LTS2024 versions 7.13.1.0 through 7.13.1.70
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-03 - CVE CVE-2026-46463 published to NVD and Dell releases advisory DSA-2026-278
- 2026-07-08 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-46463
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is classified as an integer overflow or wraparound [CWE-190] in the Dell Data Domain Operating System. Integer overflow flaws occur when arithmetic operations produce values that exceed the storage capacity of the target integer type. The result wraps around to an unexpected value, typically a small or negative number.
Dell's advisory indicates the flaw is reachable by an unauthenticated attacker over the network. Successful exploitation leads to a denial-of-service condition, consistent with the CVSS availability impact rating of High. Confidentiality is not affected, and integrity impact is limited.
The attack complexity is rated High, indicating specific conditions must be satisfied to trigger the overflow reliably. This may include crafting inputs that hit specific arithmetic boundaries within the affected service.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient validation of numeric inputs before they participate in size, length, or offset calculations. When an attacker-supplied value causes wraparound, subsequent memory or resource allocations proceed with corrupted sizing assumptions. This condition leads to abnormal service termination in the affected DDOS component.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to an exposed Data Domain service. No authentication or user interaction is required. The attacker sends specially crafted network traffic containing values engineered to trigger the wraparound. On success, the affected process or subsystem crashes, interrupting backup, restore, or replication operations that rely on the appliance.
Dell has not disclosed the exact protocol or service component impacted. Public exploit code is not currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-46463
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected restarts or crashes of DDOS services, particularly correlated with inbound traffic from untrusted networks.
- Backup or replication job failures coinciding with appliance service interruptions.
- Anomalous packet payloads targeting Data Domain management or data protocol ports.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor DDOS system logs for repeated service restarts, watchdog resets, or kernel panic entries.
- Inspect network traffic to Data Domain interfaces for malformed protocol messages containing extreme numeric values or oversized length fields.
- Correlate backup infrastructure alerts with security telemetry to distinguish operational failures from potential exploitation attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Data Domain syslog output to a centralized SIEM and alert on availability-impacting events on the appliance.
- Baseline normal traffic patterns to the appliance's management and data protocol ports so that atypical connection sources can be flagged.
- Track advisory DSA-2026-278 status across all Data Domain assets in the asset inventory until every appliance is confirmed patched.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-46463
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all Dell PowerProtect Data Domain appliances and identify systems running the affected DDOS versions listed in the advisory.
- Apply the DDOS updates referenced in DSA-2026-278 as soon as change windows permit.
- Restrict network access to Data Domain management and data protocol ports to trusted backup infrastructure only.
Patch Information
Dell has released fixed versions through the Dell Security Update Advisory DSA-2026-278. Administrators should upgrade to the patched builds referenced for their release track (mainline 8.7+, LTS2026, LTS2025, or LTS2024) as documented by Dell. Coordinate with backup operations to plan a maintenance window and verify appliance state after upgrade.
Workarounds
- Place Data Domain appliances on isolated management VLANs accessible only from authorized backup servers and administrator jump hosts.
- Enforce firewall access-control lists that block Data Domain service ports from general enterprise and internet-facing networks.
- Increase monitoring of appliance availability and be prepared to fail over to redundant backup infrastructure if a service disruption occurs.
# Example firewall restriction limiting Data Domain access to trusted backup subnets
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 10.10.20.0/24 --dport 3009 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3009 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
