CVE-2024-0170
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedDell Unity, versions prior to 5.4, contains an OS Command Injection Vulnerability in its svc_cava utility. An authenticated attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, escaping the restricted shell and execute arbitrary operating system commands with root privileges.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceDell Unity storage systems versions prior to 5.4 contain an OS command injection vulnerability in the svc_cava utility. An authenticated attacker can escape the restricted shell and execute arbitrary operating system commands with root privileges, achieving full compromise of the storage array.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 5.4.0.0.5.094CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm the system is a Dell Unity storage arrayIdentify the storage system by checking system documentation, management interface, or running 'uname -a' if CLI access is available. Dell Unity systems run a custom Linux-based Operating Environment.Affected if The system is a Dell Unity storage array and the version is below 5.4.0.0.5.094
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Check the installed Dell Unity Operating Environment versionAccess the Unisphere management interface and navigate to Settings > About, or use the CLI command 'system version' or 'version' to retrieve the installed OS version. Compare it to the affected range: versions prior to 5.4.0.0.5.094.Affected if The installed version is below 5.4.0.0.5.094
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Verify presence and access to the svc_cava utilityCheck if the svc_cava utility exists on the system by examining the /svc directory or using 'ls /svc' via CLI. This utility is the specific vulnerable component mentioned in the CVE.Affected if The svc_cava utility is present and accessible to authenticated users
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Review authentication logs for unauthorized access to svc_cavaExamine system audit logs, security logs, or authentication logs for any instances of user login followed by svc_cava command execution. Look for commands that may indicate restricted shell escape attempts.Affected if Any unexpected or unauthorized authenticated sessions involving svc_cava are found in logs
A Dell Unity system is affected if it runs an Operating Environment version below 5.4.0.0.5.094 and has the svc_cava utility accessible to authenticated users, allowing potential command injection.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped5.4.0.0.5.094
Upgrade Dell Unity to version 5.4 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Restrict access to the svc_cava utility and monitor for any unauthorized authentication attempts.
Unity Operating Environment 5.4.0.0.5.094 or later
- Verify current Dell Unity OE version by accessing the Unisphere management interface or using the CLI command `system -version`
- Review Dell Unity upgrade documentation at support.dell.com or in the Unisphere Help
- Download the Unity OE version 5.4.0.0.5.094 or later from Dell Support (search for Dell Unity OE)
- Create a backup of the current system configuration and ensure you have a valid disaster recovery recovery point
- Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades require system restart and may cause brief downtime
- Upload the new OE bundle through Unisphere (Settings > Software > Update) or via CLI using `software install` command
- Follow the on-screen prompts to install the update and allow the system to complete the installation
- After upgrade, verify the new version is installed using `system -version`
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-0170 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-0170 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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