CVE-2026-49811: Dell Command Monitor Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-49811 Overview

CVE-2026-49811 is an Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability [CWE-732] in Dell Command | Monitor (DCM). Versions prior to 10.13.2 are affected. A local attacker with low privileges can exploit weak file or resource permissions to elevate privileges on the host. Dell published advisory DSA-2026-380 addressing the flaw.

The vulnerability requires local access and low privileges, with no user interaction. Successful exploitation results in high impact to confidentiality and integrity, with a scope change indicating the attacker can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component.

Critical Impact
Local low-privileged attackers can escalate to SYSTEM-level privileges on Windows endpoints running vulnerable Dell Command | Monitor installations.

Affected Products

Dell Command | Monitor (DCM) versions prior to 10.13.2

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-21 - CVE-2026-49811 published to NVD
2026-09-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-49811

Vulnerability Analysis

Dell Command | Monitor is a Windows management agent that exposes hardware inventory, health, and configuration data through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). It runs with elevated privileges to interact with system firmware and hardware sensors.

The vulnerability stems from incorrect permission assignment on a critical resource used by DCM. When a resource such as a file, directory, or configuration object is created with overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs), an unprivileged local user can modify content that a privileged process later reads or executes. This enables elevation of privileges from a standard account to the security context of the DCM service.

The scope change indicated in the CVSS vector means the escalated privileges extend beyond the vulnerable component's original authorization boundary. Practical impact on Windows systems typically results in code execution as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified under [CWE-732] Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. A resource required by the DCM service is created or maintained with ACLs that grant write or modify access to non-administrative users. Dell's advisory DSA-2026-380 does not publicly detail the specific resource path.

Attack Vector

An attacker requires an authenticated local session on the target Windows host. The attacker identifies the misconfigured resource, replaces or modifies its contents, and waits for the privileged DCM process to consume it. Because no user interaction is required and attack complexity is low, exploitation is reliable once a proof of concept is developed. No public exploit is currently available and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The EPSS score is 0.135%.

See the Dell Security Update DSA-2026-380 for vendor-supplied details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-49811

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected modification timestamps on files within the Dell Command | Monitor installation directory or its data folders.
New or modified binaries, scripts, or DLLs loaded by the DCM service process running as SYSTEM.
Process creation events where a DCM-related service spawns unexpected child processes such as cmd.exe or powershell.exe.

Detection Strategies

Audit ACLs on the Dell Command | Monitor installation directory and identify entries granting write access to non-administrative principals such as Users or Authenticated Users.
Enable Windows object access auditing (Event ID 4663) on DCM resource paths to detect write operations by low-privileged accounts.
Correlate file modifications in DCM directories with subsequent service restarts or WMI provider activity.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor for anomalous child processes spawned by Dell Command | Monitor service executables.
Alert on privilege escalation patterns where a standard user account is followed by SYSTEM-level activity on the same host within a short window.
Track installation of Dell Command | Monitor across the fleet and flag hosts running versions prior to 10.13.2.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-49811

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Dell Command | Monitor to version 10.13.2 or later on all affected Windows endpoints and servers.
Inventory endpoints running DCM using software asset management or endpoint telemetry to identify vulnerable installations.
Restrict local logon rights on systems where DCM cannot be immediately updated to reduce the population of potential attackers.

Patch Information

Dell released the fix in Dell Command | Monitor version 10.13.2. Full remediation guidance is available in the Dell Security Update DSA-2026-380. Apply the update through standard patch management channels or Dell Command | Update.

Workarounds

No official workaround is published by Dell. Upgrading to 10.13.2 is the supported remediation path.
As a compensating control, remove Dell Command | Monitor from systems that do not require hardware monitoring functionality.
Enforce least privilege on interactive user accounts to limit the pool of accounts that can attempt local exploitation.

bash

# Query installed Dell Command | Monitor version on Windows
wmic product where "Name like 'Dell Command %% Monitor'" get Name,Version

# PowerShell alternative
Get-CimInstance Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'Dell Command*Monitor*' } | Select-Object Name,Version