Power Protect Cyber Recovery: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
CVE-2026-79939 is a high-severity UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following vulnerability in Power Protect Cyber Recovery from Dell, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version 20.3.0.0 as the first without the flaw, so updating Power Protect Cyber Recovery to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.17% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Power Protect Cyber Recovery to 20.3.0.0 or a later version.
- Update Cyber Recovery to osupdate-15.4.0-19.bin or osupdate-15.6.1-1.bin, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Powerprotect Cyber Recovery to 20.3.0.0 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on dell.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell | Power Protect Cyber Recovery | before 20.3.0.0 | 20.3.0.0 |
| Dell | Cyber Recovery | before osupdate-15.4.0-19.bin; before osupdate-15.6.1-1.bin | osupdate-15.4.0-19.bin, osupdate-15.6.1-1.bin |
| Dell | Powerprotect Cyber Recovery | before 20.3.0.0 | 20.3.0.0 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 5.8 | Medium | CNA (emc.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery, versions Prior to 20.3, contain an UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Script injection.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
The product, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently account for when the file is a symbolic link that resolves to a target outside of the intended control sphere. This could allow an attacker to cause the product to operate on unauthorized files.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Symbolic link attacks often occur when a program creates a tmp directory that stores files/links. Access to the directory should be restricted to the program as to prevent attackers from manipulating the files.
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system. Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.
More UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerabilities (CWE-61)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Power Protect Cyber Recovery
- 8.8 High severity
Recent UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerabilities
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
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