CVE-2026-56690: Dell PowerFlex Manager SQL Injection (CVSS 8.5)

Technical summary

CVE-2026-56690 is a SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in Dell PowerFlex Manager that exists in versions prior to 5.1.0.1. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special SQL characters in user-supplied input, allowing authenticated attackers to craft malicious SQL queries. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N) indicates network-accessible exploitation requiring low privileges with high confidentiality impact and limited integrity impact, but no availability disruption.

Business impact

Successful exploitation could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of Dell PowerFlex storage infrastructure. Attackers with basic user accounts could extract sensitive configuration data, credentials, performance metrics, or user information stored in the PowerFlex Manager database. In a multi-tenant or shared infrastructure scenario, this could expose data across multiple business units or customers, violating data governance and compliance requirements.

Affected systems

Dell PowerFlex Manager versions prior to 5.1.0.1 are affected. Organizations running PowerFlex Manager should verify their current version immediately. All deployment models (on-premises, virtual appliance) running vulnerable versions require patching.

Exploitability

This vulnerability requires an attacker to first obtain valid user credentials and network access to the PowerFlex Manager interface. The low barrier to exploitation (network-accessible, low privileges required, no user interaction needed) means internal or contractor accounts with basic access could be leveraged. However, it is not currently listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild has not been confirmed as of the publication date.

Remediation

Upgrade Dell PowerFlex Manager to version 5.1.0.1 or later. Organizations should prioritize this patch in their change windows given the HIGH severity rating and ease of exploitation for anyone with valid credentials. Verify the patch version against Dell's official security advisory before deployment.

Patch guidance

Download and apply Dell PowerFlex Manager version 5.1.0.1 or any subsequent release from Dell's support portal. Review Dell's security advisory for prerequisites, rollback procedures, and compatibility notes with your storage environment. Test the patch in a non-production environment first to ensure no conflicts with existing configurations. Plan patching during a maintenance window to minimize operational disruption to storage services dependent on PowerFlex Manager.

Detection guidance

Monitor PowerFlex Manager access logs and database query logs for anomalous SQL patterns, particularly SELECT statements from low-privilege accounts accessing sensitive tables. Implement database activity monitoring (DAM) to flag suspicious queries. Review authentication logs for unusual login activity or privilege escalation attempts. Network-based detection should flag SQL keywords in HTTP/HTTPS traffic to PowerFlex Manager ports. Correlate any detected exploitation attempts with vulnerability scanning to confirm unpatched versions in your environment.

Why prioritize this

Despite not being actively exploited, this vulnerability merits prompt patching due to its HIGH CVSS score (8.5), the low privileges required for exploitation, and the sensitive nature of PowerFlex Manager (which controls critical storage infrastructure). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning exploitation could affect systems beyond the vulnerable application itself. Any attacker with employee or contractor credentials poses an immediate risk.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.5 (HIGH) reflects the combination of network accessibility, low attack complexity, high confidentiality impact (C:H), and cross-boundary scope. While integrity impact is limited (I:L) and availability is unaffected (A:N), the ability to remotely extract sensitive data from a critical infrastructure management tool justifies the elevated risk rating. The requirement for authentication (PR:L) prevents a perfect 10, but does not materially reduce the risk in environments with broad user populations or shared accounts.

Frequently asked questions