dbcve.org
Powerprotect Data ManagerApplication · Dell

CVE-2025-43885

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 19.21 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, version(s) 19.19 and 19.20, Hyper-V contain(s) an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Command execution.

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 confidence

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager versions 19.19 and 19.20 contain an OS command injection vulnerability in the Hyper-V component. The vulnerability allows a low-privileged local attacker to inject malicious OS commands through improper neutralization of special elements, potentially achieving arbitrary command execution on the affected system.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a patched version of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager as soon as feasible. Until patched, limit local access to trusted personnel only and monitor for suspicious process activity.

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
Powerprotect Data ManagerApplication
Affected:< 19.21

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is installed
    Check system for Dell PowerProtect Data Manager installation by reviewing installed software or running 'dpkg -l | grep -i powerprotect' on Linux or reviewing installed programs on Windows
    Affected if Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed version of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager
    Run the appropriate command to retrieve the version, such as 'dpkg -l | grep -i powerprotect' or check the application's about/version information in the management interface
    Affected if The installed version is 19.19, 19.20, or any version lower than 19.21
  3. Determine if Hyper-V component is in use
    Review the PowerProtect Data Manager configuration to check if Hyper-V backups or protection policies are configured, or check for Hyper-V related logs or assets within the management interface
    Affected if Hyper-V protection or backup functionality is enabled or configured within PowerProtect Data Manager

A system is affected if Dell PowerProtect Data Manager version 19.19 or 19.20 (or any version below 19.21) is installed with the Hyper-V component enabled or configured.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 19.21 or later
Fixed in 19.21
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a patched version of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager as soon as feasible. Until patched, limit local access to trusted personnel only and monitor for suspicious process activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

PowerProtect Data Manager 19.21

  1. Ensure you have a complete backup of your PowerProtect Data Manager configuration and data before beginning the upgrade process.
  2. Review Dell PowerProtect Data Manager 19.21 release notes for any prerequisites, compatibility requirements, or known issues.
  3. Download the PowerProtect Data Manager version 19.21 upgrade package from the Dell Support website (support.dell.com).
  4. Log in to the PowerProtect Data Manager administrative console with administrative privileges.
  5. Follow the standard upgrade procedure: navigate to Administration > Settings > Software Update, or use the CLI upgrade method as documented.
  6. Execute the upgrade to version 19.21, monitoring for any errors during the process.
  7. After upgrade completion, verify the new version by checking the PowerProtect Data Manager console or running the version command.
  8. Validate that the Hyper-V protection functionality is working correctly post-upgrade.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Powerprotect Data Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,616.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-43885 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data