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Data Domain Operating SystemOperating system · Dell

CVE-2026-53481

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.13.1.80 / 8.3.1.40 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click 7 weeks old

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 Domain, versions 7.7.1.0 through 8.7, LTS2026 release version 8.6.1.0 through 8.6.1.10, LTS2025 release version 8.3.1.0 through 8.3.1.30, LTS2024 release versions 7.13.1.0 through 7.13.1.70 contain an improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to unauthorized access to the system. This is a critical severity vulnerability as it allows an attacker to take complete control of system; so Dell recommends customers to upgrade at the earliest opportunity.

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

This is a path traversal vulnerability in Dell PowerProtect Data Domain appliances where the software fails to properly restrict pathname access, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to access restricted directories outside the expected root folder. The vulnerability affects multiple LTS versions and current releases, potentially giving attackers unauthorized file system access leading to system compromise.

MitigationDell recommends upgrading to the latest version immediately; organizations should identify their current PowerProtect Data Domain version, review the upgrade path for their specific LTS release, and apply the appropriate patched version as soon as possible.

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
Data Domain Operating SystemOperating system
Affected:>= 7.7.1.0, < 7.13.1.80>= 7.14.0.0, < 8.3.1.40>= 8.4.0.0, < 8.6.1.20>= 8.7.0.0, < 8.8.0.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Determine Data Domain OS version
    Access the Data Domain CLI via SSH or console and run the command: `show version` or `version`. Alternatively, log into the Data Domain Management Center web UI and navigate to the System information or About section.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within any of these ranges: 7.7.1.0 to 7.13.1.79, 7.14.0.0 to 8.3.1.39, 8.4.0.0 to 8.6.1.19, or 8.7.0.0 to 8.7.x.x (versions below the fixed releases)
  2. Verify management interface accessibility
    Confirm whether the Data Domain web management interface (port 443 or 80) or REST API is reachable from network segments. Check firewall rules, ACLs, or run a connectivity test from an external host to the Data Domain management IP on ports 80/443.
    Affected if The management interface is exposed to network segments where unauthenticated attackers could send HTTP/HTTPS requests (the path traversal flaw is exploitable via the web interface)
  3. Identify exposed services
    From the Data Domain CLI, run `net show interface` or check the management network configuration to list all active network interfaces and their associated services. Review which services are bound to which IP addresses.
    Affected if The system has an active management interface bound to a routable IP address, making it reachable for remote exploitation
  4. Confirm authentication configuration
    Check if the Data Domain is configured to allow unauthenticated access to certain endpoints. Review the current authentication settings via the web UI under Access > Users or via CLI if available.
    Affected if Unauthenticated access to management interfaces is permitted (the vulnerability allows unauthenticated path traversal)
  5. Review recent access logs
    Examine the Data Domain system logs or web server access logs for suspicious path traversal patterns, such as requests containing ../ sequences or attempts to access restricted directories like /etc/, /var/, or system files.
    Affected if Any suspicious requests with ../ patterns are found in logs targeting the web interface

If the installed Data Domain OS version is within the affected ranges listed and the management web interface is network-accessible, the environment is likely vulnerable to this path traversal flaw.

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 7.13.1.80 / 8.3.1.40 / 8.6.1.20 or later
Fixed in 7.13.1.808.3.1.408.6.1.20
Interim mitigation

Dell recommends upgrading to the latest version immediately; organizations should identify their current PowerProtect Data Domain version, review the upgrade path for their specific LTS release, and apply the appropriate patched version as soon as possible.

Recommended fix High confidence

8.8.0.0 (or branch-specific: 7.13.1.80+, 8.3.1.40+, 8.6.1.20+)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed Data Domain Operating System version using the system CLI or management interface.
  2. 2. Based on the current version, determine the appropriate upgrade path to a fixed release:
  3. - If running 7.7.1.0 through 7.13.1.x: upgrade to version 7.13.1.80 or later (recommended: latest 7.13.1.x release)
  4. - If running 7.14.x: upgrade to version 8.3.1.40 or later (recommended: latest 8.3.1.x release)
  5. - If running 8.4.x through 8.6.1.x: upgrade to version 8.6.1.20 or later (recommended: latest 8.6.1.x release)
  6. - If running 8.7.x: upgrade to version 8.8.0.0 or later
  7. 3. Download the appropriate Data Domain OS upgrade bundle from Dell Support (support.dell.com) - ensure the upgrade matches your hardware model
  8. 4. Review Dell Data Domain upgrade documentation and release notes for pre-upgrade checks and procedures
Caveat Dell recommends upgrading at the earliest opportunity; review LTS release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes between major versions

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

Fix this in Data Domain Operating System Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2026-53481 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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