dbcve.org
EncryptionApplication · Dell

CVE-2025-46636

MEDIUM · 6.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.12.1 or later.
See remediation →
66/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 Encryption, versions prior to 11.12.1, contain an Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information tampering.

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 · moderate confidence

Dell Encryption versions prior to 11.12.1 contain a symlink following vulnerability (CWE-59) where the software improperly resolves links before accessing files. A low-privileged local attacker could exploit this to manipulate file access paths, potentially tampering with encrypted data or configuration files through specially crafted symbolic links.

MitigationUpgrade Dell Encryption to version 11.12.1 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict local file system access for low-privileged users and monitor for suspicious symlink creation in encryption software directories.

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
EncryptionApplication
Affected:< 11.12.1

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/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 Dell Encryption installation
    Locate the Dell Encryption installation directory and find version information, typically in program files, an About dialog, or via the product's CLI utility if available
    Affected if Dell Encryption is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Retrieve the version number of the installed Dell Encryption software using the product's native version check mechanism or by examining version metadata in installation directories
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 11.12.1
  3. Assess symlink creation exposure
    Review file system permissions on Dell Encryption directories to determine if low-privileged users can create symbolic links within or pointing to encryption software directories
    Affected if Low-privileged users have write permissions that allow symlink creation in sensitive encryption paths
  4. Inspect for existing symlinks
    Scan Dell Encryption data and configuration directories for any symbolic links that may have been created, particularly in paths used for encrypted data storage or configuration files
    Affected if Suspicious symlinks exist in encryption-related directories

A system is affected if Dell Encryption version is below 11.12.1 and low-privileged users have the ability to create symlinks in areas accessed by the encryption software.

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 11.12.1 or later
Fixed in 11.12.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Dell Encryption to version 11.12.1 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict local file system access for low-privileged users and monitor for suspicious symlink creation in encryption software directories.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Dell Encryption 11.12.1

  1. Identify the current Dell Encryption version installed on the system
  2. Download Dell Encryption version 11.12.1 or later from Dell's official support website (support.dell.com)
  3. Review Dell Encryption upgrade documentation for your specific deployment model
  4. Backup all encryption keys, policies, and configuration data before upgrading
  5. Follow Dell's standard upgrade procedure for Encryption Enterprise or Enterprise Plus as applicable
  6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the Encryption management console
  7. Confirm the symlink vulnerability is resolved by verifying file access controls are properly enforced
Caveat Review Dell compatibility guides; verify existing encrypted systems, migration tools, and management console integrations are supported in 11.12.1 before production upgrade

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

Fix this in Encryption Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
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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-2025-46636 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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