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Dell BOSS EUVDEUVD-2026-88297

| CVE-2026-80358 MEDIUM
On-Chip Debug and Test Interface With Improper Access Control (CWE-1191)
2026-09-28 dell GHSA-5g2v-763c-c88m
5.1
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: dell
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Gain physical access to server hardware
  2. Exploit
    Expose and connect to SMCU debug interface
  3. Execution
    Exploit improper access control on debug port
  4. Impact
    Tamper with boot storage controller integrity

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture On-chip debug access control
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires physical access to the on-chip debug and test interface of the SMCU specifically on 17G BOSS-N1 controllers running firmware prior to 2.2.13.2038; the improperly-access-controlled debug/test interface is the exact prerequisite. Strong limiting factors: physical presence at the hardware, high attack complexity (AC:H), and required user interaction (UI:R) mean this cannot be exploited remotely or at scale - it is confined to attackers who can open the server and reach the controller card. It is also constrained to the specific 17G BOSS-N1 hardware generation, not all BOSS variants.

Impact

This is a low-priority, high-friction physical-attack issue despite the CWE-1191 debug-interface classification. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L, base 5.1) is decisive: exploitation requires PHYSICAL access to the BOSS-N1 controller card, high attack complexity, AND user interaction, which collectively make remote or scalable abuse impossible. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public proof-of-concept are present in the input, so there is no signal of active or imminent exploitation - consistent with a vendor-self-reported hardware debug flaw rather than a field-exploited bug. The only elevated metric is I:H (integrity), reflecting that debug/test-interface access to the storage management controller (SMCU) could let an attacker tamper with the boot storage subsystem; confidentiality and availability impacts are Low. Note a tension worth flagging: PR:N (no privileges) combined with AV:P and UI:R describes an attacker with hands-on hardware access but no software credentials - this is a hardware access-control weakness, not a network authentication bypass, so the 'Authentication Bypass' tag overstates the network-facing nature. Bottom line: real but marginal risk requiring an attacker already physically inside the datacenter with the server open.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with physical access to a Dell PowerEdge 17G server opens the chassis, connects to the exposed on-chip debug/test interface on the BOSS-N1 controller's SMCU, and leverages the improper access control to interact with the boot storage management controller and tamper with its integrity. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the high complexity plus required user interaction make this an opportunistic hands-on attack (e.g., evil-maid, supply-chain interception, or decommissioned-hardware scenario) rather than a scalable one.

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

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 28, 2026

Unauthenticated physical attackers with access to a server's internals can exploit an improperly protected on-chip debug and test interface on the SMCU of Dell BOSS-N1 17G controllers (firmware prior to 2.2.13.2038) to gain unauthorized access, primarily threatening integrity. This is a low-priority, high-friction vulnerability requiring physical presence, high attack complexity, and user interaction, and no public exploit has been identified. Dell has released firmware version 2.2.13.2038 to address the issue.

RemediationAI

Upgrade the BOSS-N1 controller firmware to version 2.2.13.2038 or later as provided in Dell advisory DSA-2026-402 (https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000513073/dsa-2026-402-security-update-for-dell-boot-optimized-server-storage-boss-vulnerability). Vendor-released patch: 2.2.13.2038. Since exploitation requires physical access, restricting physical access to servers and controller cards is a compensating control, though it does not eliminate the vulnerability. No other workarounds are specified.

Affected VersionsENISA

Boot Optimized Server Storage (BOSS) 0 <2.2.13.2038

Affected Packages

euvd boot_optimized_server_storage_boss fix: 2.2.13.2038

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-1191: On-Chip Debug and Test Interface With Improper Access Control. The affected component is the Storage Management Controller Unit (SMCU) on Dell's 17G BOSS-N1 (Boot Optimized Server Storage) controllers. These controllers provide boot storage for Dell servers, and the SMCU firmware manages storage operations. The on-chip debug interface is intended for testing and debugging but lacks proper access controls, allowing an attacker with physical access to interact with it and bypass authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized read/write of firmware or configuration. The CVSS vector (AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L) confirms that exploitation requires physical access, high complexity, no privileges, and user interaction, with limited confidentiality and availability impact but high integrity impact. The CPE string cpe:2.3:a:dell:boot_optimized_server_storage_(boss):*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* indicates the affected product family.

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Severity by source

Vendor (dell) PRIMARY 5.1 MEDIUM
AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
vuln.today AI 5.1 MEDIUM

Physical debug-interface access with no credentials but hands-on hardware needed gives AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R; integrity of boot storage is the primary impact (I:H), C/A only Low.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (dell).

CVSS VectorVendor: dell

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

Lifecycle Timeline

1
Patch available
Sep 28, 2026 - 15:16 EUVD

DescriptionCVE.org

Dell Boot Optimized Server Storage (BOSS), versions prior to 2.2.13.2038, contains an On-Chip Debug and Test Interface With Improper Access Control vulnerability in the SMCU on 17G BOSS-N1 controllers. An unauthenticated attacker with physical access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Unauthorized access.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 99% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
BOSS boot/RAID card is common in Dell PowerEdge servers but hardware-specific
Data Quality
4 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
Partial

Priority Score

26
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +26
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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