CVE-2025-36567 is an OS command injection vulnerability classified under CWE-78, found in Dell PowerProtect Data Domain appliances running the Data Domain Operating System (DD OS) across multiple versions including Feature Release versions 7.7.1.0 through 8.1.0.10, LTS 2023, and LTS 2024 releases. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in OS commands, allowing a high-privileged attacker with local access to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. This can lead to full privilege escalation to root, compromising system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector requires local access and elevated privileges but does not require user interaction, making it a significant risk in environments where trusted users or compromised accounts exist. The CVSS v3.1 score of 6.7 reflects a medium severity, balancing the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability against the requirement for local high privileges and no remote exploitation. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a critical concern for backup and storage systems that are integral to enterprise data protection strategies. The lack of patch links suggests that remediation may require coordination with Dell or awaiting official updates. Organizations relying on these systems should conduct immediate risk assessments and implement compensating controls to prevent unauthorized local access.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is significant due to the critical role Dell PowerProtect Data Domain appliances play in enterprise backup and data protection infrastructures. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized command execution with root privileges, potentially resulting in data theft, data destruction, or disruption of backup services. This could compromise business continuity, violate data protection regulations such as GDPR, and lead to financial and reputational damage. The requirement for local high-privileged access limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with multiple administrators or where insider threats exist. Additionally, if attackers gain initial footholds through other means, this vulnerability could be leveraged for lateral movement and privilege escalation within networks. The medium CVSS score reflects the balance of these factors but does not diminish the criticality of protecting backup systems that are often trusted implicitly within IT environments.

1. Restrict and tightly control local access to Dell PowerProtect Data Domain systems, ensuring only authorized and trusted personnel have high-privileged accounts. 2. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on administrative interfaces and local consoles to detect and prevent unauthorized usage. 3. Apply principle of least privilege to all user accounts to minimize the number of users with high privileges. 4. Regularly audit and review user accounts and permissions on affected systems. 5. Coordinate with Dell for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-36567 as soon as they become available and apply them promptly. 6. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious command execution or privilege escalation attempts. 7. Isolate backup appliances from general user networks and restrict network access to management interfaces. 8. Maintain robust logging and alerting mechanisms to detect anomalous activities related to command execution on these systems. 9. Conduct regular security awareness training for administrators to recognize and report suspicious activities. 10. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access where supported.