CVE-2026-54796: Dell OpenManage Enterprise RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-54796 Overview

CVE-2026-54796 is an OS command injection vulnerability affecting Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions prior to 4.7.0. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in operating system commands [CWE-78]. A remote attacker with high privileges can inject arbitrary commands through the management interface, leading to command execution on the underlying host. Dell addressed the issue in advisory DSA-2026-359. The vulnerability carries an EPSS probability of 2.358% placing it in the 82nd percentile for likelihood of exploitation.

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on Dell OpenManage Enterprise systems, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the infrastructure management platform.

Affected Products

Dell OpenManage Enterprise versions prior to 4.7.0
Systems managed through vulnerable OpenManage Enterprise consoles
Deployments exposing the management interface to internal networks

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-19 - CVE-2026-54796 published to NVD
2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-54796

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-54796 is classified under [CWE-78] as Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. Dell OpenManage Enterprise passes user-supplied input into an operating system command context without adequate sanitization. Attackers who possess valid high-privilege credentials can craft input containing shell metacharacters that break out of the intended command structure.

The result is arbitrary command execution in the security context of the OpenManage Enterprise service. Because OpenManage Enterprise centrally administers Dell server fleets, successful exploitation can pivot from the appliance itself into managed hardware, iDRAC endpoints, and downstream infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause is the concatenation or interpolation of untrusted input into an OS command string without escaping, quoting, or using parameterized process execution APIs. Refer to the Dell Security Update DSA-2026-359 advisory for vendor-specific component details.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the OpenManage Enterprise management interface and valid high-privilege credentials. The attacker submits crafted values through an authenticated function that reaches the vulnerable command handler. Shell metacharacters within the input terminate the intended command and append attacker-controlled commands, which the host executes with service-level privileges.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available at the time of publication. See the vendor advisory for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-54796

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the OpenManage Enterprise service account or web application worker
Shell interpreters (sh, bash, cmd.exe, powershell.exe) invoked from the OpenManage Enterprise process tree
Outbound network connections from the OpenManage appliance to unfamiliar hosts following administrative API calls
Authentication logs showing high-privilege sessions from atypical source addresses immediately before command execution

Detection Strategies

Monitor process creation events on OpenManage Enterprise hosts and alert on shell or scripting interpreters launched by the management service
Inspect OpenManage Enterprise audit logs for administrative API requests containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, or backticks
Correlate authenticated administrative activity with process execution telemetry to surface command-injection patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

Baseline normal process behavior of the OpenManage Enterprise appliance and alert on deviations
Forward OpenManage Enterprise application and OS logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
Track privileged account usage on the management platform and enforce alerting on off-hours administrative sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-54796

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Dell OpenManage Enterprise to version 4.7.0 or later as directed in DSA-2026-359
Restrict network access to the OpenManage Enterprise management interface to trusted administrative subnets only
Rotate credentials for all high-privilege OpenManage Enterprise accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication where supported
Audit administrative account membership and remove unused or excessive privileges

Patch Information

Dell released the fix in OpenManage Enterprise 4.7.0. Full remediation guidance is documented in the Dell Security Update DSA-2026-359. Apply the update following Dell's documented upgrade procedure and validate service functionality after patching.

Workarounds

Segment the OpenManage Enterprise appliance behind a management VLAN with strict firewall access control lists
Disable or restrict administrative accounts that are not actively required for operations
Increase logging verbosity on the appliance to capture forensic evidence until the patch is applied

bash

# Verify installed OpenManage Enterprise version
# Replace <ome-host> with your appliance address
curl -k -u <admin>:<password> \
  https://<ome-host>/api/ApplicationService/Info | \
  grep -i version