Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
CVE-2026-80238 is a critical-severity execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application from Dell, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 5.36.00.00 or later as the first without the flaw, so updating Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.19% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application to 5.36.00.00 or later or a later version.
- Update Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Appliance to 5.36.00.16 or later or a later version.
- Update Secure Connect Gateway to 5.36.00.00 or 5.36.00.16, whichever matches your release line, 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 | Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application | before 5.36.00.00 or later | 5.36.00.00 or later |
| Dell | Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Appliance | before 5.36.00.16 or later | 5.36.00.16 or later |
| Dell | Secure Connect Gateway | before 5.36.00.00; before 5.36.00.16 | 5.36.00.00, 5.36.00.16 |
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
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- 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:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (emc.com).
Official description
Dell SCG 5.0 Appliance versions prior to 5.36.00.16 and Dell SCG 5.0 Application versions prior to 5.36.00.00, contains an Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Protection mechanism bypass. This vulnerability is considered critical because a low-privileged operator with SSH access to the SCG host can gain root-level access to the host without requiring a password by leveraging the exposed Docker socket. Additionally, an attacker who compromises a service running within the orchestrator container can access the same socket and escape the container boundary to obtain host-level control. Dell recommends that customers upgrade at the earliest opportunity.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
More Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-250)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 - Application
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
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