Skip to main content

Secure Connect Gateway EUVDEUVD-2026-85335

| CVE-2026-73589 MEDIUM
Weak Encoding for Password (CWE-261)
2026-09-23 dell GHSA-wmpf-wh48-4x49
6.3
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: dell
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain local low-privileged account on SCG host
  2. Delivery
    Locate weakly-encoded stored password
  3. Exploit
    Reverse the weak encoding to plaintext
  4. Execution
    Reuse recovered credentials
  5. Impact
    Access data, tamper config, bypass protections

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A04:2025 - Cryptographic Failures
ASVS 5.0
V11 - Cryptography Strong password encoding
Exploitation Conditions

Requires local access to a Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager host running a version prior to 5.34.00.16, plus an existing low-privileged account (PR:L) on that system - this is not remotely exploitable and needs no user interaction. Exploitation further depends on the attacker being able to reach the location where passwords are stored using the weak/reversible encoding and successfully reversing it, which the vendor reflects as high attack complexity (AC:H). Limiting factors: local-only vector, prior authenticated foothold required, and non-trivial effort to recover and abuse the encoded credentials.

Impact

This is a moderate, defense-in-depth issue rather than a front-line priority. The Dell-assigned CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N, 6.3) is internally consistent with the description: local access (AV:L), an already-authenticated low-privileged account (PR:L), and high attack complexity (AC:H) because the attacker must reach the weakly-encoded credential material and reverse it. Despite HIGH confidentiality and integrity impact, the local-only vector and required prior foothold sharply limit real-world urgency - this is not remotely exploitable. There is no EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC, and no SSVC decision point was provided, so all exploitation-likelihood signals are absent rather than elevated. Net: a real weakness worth patching in maintenance windows, but not an emergency; it functions as a privilege-escalation/credential-recovery stepping stone for an attacker who already has a local low-privileged account, not an initial-access vulnerability. Note the version data is inconsistent across the input (see confidence_notes).

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A low-privileged local user on a Dell SCG Policy Manager host (e.g., an operator or a compromised service account) locates stored credentials that are protected only by a weak, reversible encoding rather than strong cryptographic hashing. They decode the stored value to recover the plaintext password, then reuse it to access data, tamper with configuration, or bypass a protection mechanism. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity means success depends on the attacker's ability to reach and interpret the encoded credential store.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 23, 2026

Weak, reversible password encoding in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager lets a local, low-privileged user who already holds an account on the host recover stored credentials and abuse them for information disclosure, information tampering, protection-mechanism bypass and unauthorized access. The flaw affects versions prior to 5.34.00.16 and prior to 5.36 and is scored CVSS 6.3 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N) - it is not remotely reachable and requires no user interaction, but it does require local access to the host plus a pre-existing low-privileged account, with the high attack complexity reflecting the work needed to locate and reverse the weak encoding. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and this is a moderate, defense-in-depth issue rather than a front-line priority.

RemediationAI

Upgrade SCG Policy Manager to the fixed build for your release train - 5.34.00.16 or later, or 5.36 or later - per Dell advisory DSA-2026-385 (https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000503592/dsa-2026-385-security-update-for-dell-secure-connect-gateway-policy-manager-multiple-vulnerabilities); vendor-released patches are the primary fix and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. Because the underlying weakness is reversible encoding rather than encryption, patching alone does not undo exposure: rotate every credential that is stored or consumed by the gateway (service accounts, downstream device credentials, integration secrets) after upgrading, and review logs for use of those accounts, since any previously recovered secret remains valid until changed. Until the upgrade can be scheduled, compensating controls are to restrict interactive local access on the SCG host to trusted administrators only (removing standing low-privileged accounts where operationally possible), tighten filesystem permissions and ACLs on configuration and datastore directories so non-privileged users cannot read the encoded values, and audit for unexpected local logins or credential use - noting the trade-off that tighter permissions and reduced local accounts can complicate support and break automation that relies on those logins. Where the gateway forms part of a broader credential chain, treat the host as potentially compromised until the upgrade and credential rotation are complete.

Affected VersionsENISA

Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager 0 <5.36.00.16 or later

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The root cause is CWE-261 (Weak Encoding for Password): SCG Policy Manager stores credentials using a reversible encoding or obfuscation scheme rather than a salted, one-way cryptographic hash or key-derivation function. Because the transformation is invertible, anyone who can read the storage location - typically configuration files, a local datastore, or similar artifacts on the appliance host - can decode the values back to usable cleartext secrets instead of merely confirming a guess. That directly explains the assessed impact triad: confidentiality is high (recovery of credentials for other accounts or services), integrity is high (the recovered secrets permit impersonation and modification of protected data), and availability is unaffected - matching the assessed CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N vector. The local attack vector (AV:L) reflects that the encoded material lives on the host, while the high attack complexity (AC:H) reflects the attacker needing a foothold, knowledge of where the encoded passwords sit, and a correct understanding of the encoding scheme to reverse it. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:dell:secure_connect_gateway_(scg)_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* uses a wildcard version, so the CPE alone does not bound the affected range; the authoritative bounds are the version thresholds stated by the vendor. As is typical for credential-storage weaknesses, the practical risk is lateral movement and privilege escalation through credential reuse rather than direct remote compromise of the gateway itself.

Know when Secure Connect Gateway Scg Policy Manager gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (dell) PRIMARY 6.3 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
vuln.today AI 6.3 MEDIUM

Local access with an existing low-privileged account (AV:L/PR:L), high complexity to reach and reverse the encoded credential (AC:H); recovered password enables confidentiality and integrity loss but no availability impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (dell).

CVSS VectorVendor: dell

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

1
Patch available
Sep 23, 2026 - 16:02 EUVD

DescriptionCVE.org

Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager, versions prior to 5.34.00.16, Versions prior to 5.36, contains a Weak Encoding for Password vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information disclosure, Information tampering, Protection mechanism bypass, and Unauthorized access.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 100% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche enterprise Dell support-gateway appliance, limited production footprint
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

32
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +32
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

CVE-2026-76779 CRITICAL
9.8 Oct 09

Weak authentication throttling in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager allows unauthenticated remote attacke

CVE-2026-78019 HIGH
8.8 Oct 09

Privilege escalation, filesystem access, and remote code execution in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager a

CVE-2026-78023 HIGH
8.8 Oct 09

Authorization bypass in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager lets an authenticated, low-privileged user tamp

CVE-2026-78020 HIGH
8.8 Oct 09

Improper X.509 certificate validation in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager lets an unauthenticated attack

CVE-2026-78026 HIGH
8.8 Oct 09

Privilege escalation in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager allows an authenticated, network-reachable low-

CVE-2026-76769 HIGH
8.8 Oct 09

Elevation of privilege in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager lets an attacker who already holds a valid lo

CVE-2026-73594 HIGH
8.8 Sep 29

Improper TLS certificate validation in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager lets a man-in-the-middle who alr

CVE-2026-78024 HIGH
8.7 Oct 09

Server-side request forgery in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager allows a remote attacker who already hol

CVE-2026-78022 HIGH
8.1 Oct 09

Protection mechanism bypass in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager (versions below the vendor-fixed release

CVE-2026-73597 HIGH
8.1 Sep 29

Cross-site request forgery in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager prior to the vendor-fixed build allows a

CVE-2026-73598 HIGH
7.8 Sep 29

Local privilege escalation in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager versions prior to 5.34.00.16 lets a low-p

CVE-2026-78025 HIGH
7.5 Oct 09

Unauthenticated remote attackers can reach a critical function in Dell Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) Policy Manager witho

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy