CVE-2025-36582VulnerabilityPublished 1 Jul 2025

CVE-2025-36582: Dell NetWorker · Algorithm Downgrade

Affects Dell NetWorkerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.8 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.8Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 16% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Jul 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Delldell/networker`pkg:rpm/dell/networker`Other threats	Affected <=19.12.0.1	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should proactively mitigate this vulnerability by implementing the following measures: 1) Restrict network access to Dell NetWorker servers by enforcing strict firewall rules and VPN-only access to limit exposure to untrusted networks. 2) Monitor network traffic for unusual negotiation patterns or attempts to force weak algorithms, using intrusion detection systems with updated signatures. 3) Apply any available vendor patches or updates as soon as they are released by Dell, and maintain close communication with Dell support for advisories. 4) Where possible, configure Dell NetWorker to enforce the use of strong cryptographic algorithms explicitly, disabling legacy or weak cipher suites in the configuration. 5) Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on backup infrastructure to detect potential downgrade or man-in-the-middle attack vectors. 6) Educate IT staff on the risks of algorithm downgrade attacks and ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving backup system compromise. 7) Consider network segmentation to isolate backup servers from general user networks, reducing the attack surface.

Description

Dell NetWorker, versions 19.12.0.1 and prior, contains a Selection of Less-Secure Algorithm During Negotiation ('Algorithm Downgrade') vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information disclosure.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for enterprises relying on Dell NetWorker for critical data backup and disaster recovery operations. Information disclosure could lead to exposure of sensitive corporate data, including customer information, intellectual property, or internal credentials. This risk is heightened in sectors with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, where unauthorized data exposure can result in heavy fines and reputational damage. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited as a foothold for further attacks, such as lateral movement within networks or targeted espionage. Since the vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, attackers can attempt exploitation remotely, increasing the threat surface. However, the high attack complexity and lack of known exploits reduce the immediate risk. Organizations with remote backup servers accessible over the internet or less restrictive network segmentation are particularly vulnerable.

CWE-757Selection of Less-Secure Algorithm During Negotiation ('Algorithm Downgrade') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A04:2025: Cryptographic Failures (opens in a new tab)
A protocol or its implementation supports interaction between multiple actors and allows those actors to negotiate which algorithm should be used as a protection mechanism such as encryption or authentication, but it does not select the strongest algorithm that is available to both parties.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
User Privacy Protection (opens in a new tab)
Password Storage (opens in a new tab)
Cryptographic Storage (opens in a new tab)
HSTS (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Client-Server Protocol Manipulation (opens in a new tab)
Weakening of Cellular Encryption (opens in a new tab)
Drop Encryption Level (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000338757/dsa-2025-268-security-update-for-dell-networker-selection-of-less-secure-algorithm-during-negotiation-vulnerability (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Jul 2025, 13:39 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-757

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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