CVE-2025-46364 is a critical security vulnerability identified in Dell CloudLin, a cloud infrastructure management product, affecting versions prior to 8.1.1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, indicating improper privilege management. Specifically, a privileged user who already possesses valid credentials can exploit a command-line interface (CLI) escape vulnerability to escalate their control over the system beyond intended limits. This means that the attacker can bypass existing privilege restrictions and potentially execute arbitrary commands or gain administrative control over the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 reflects the vulnerability’s high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and scope change (S:C). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is rated high (C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating that exploitation could lead to full system compromise, data breaches, and service disruption. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a prime target for attackers who have obtained privileged credentials. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations. This vulnerability underscores the risks associated with improper privilege management in cloud management platforms, where a single compromised privileged account can lead to widespread system control.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-46364 can be severe, especially for those relying on Dell CloudLin for cloud infrastructure management. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized full system control, enabling attackers to access sensitive data, disrupt services, or pivot to other parts of the network. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government agencies that use Dell CloudLin could face data breaches, operational downtime, and regulatory non-compliance issues under GDPR. The vulnerability’s requirement for privileged credentials means that insider threats or credential theft attacks could be leveraged to exploit this flaw. The scope change aspect indicates that the attacker’s control could extend beyond the initially compromised component, potentially affecting multiple systems and services. This could result in widespread operational impact and significant recovery costs. Additionally, the absence of known exploits in the wild does not reduce the risk, as attackers may develop exploits rapidly once the vulnerability details are public. The reputational damage and legal consequences of a breach stemming from this vulnerability could be substantial for European organizations.

1. Immediately audit and restrict privileged user accounts with access to Dell CloudLin, ensuring that only necessary personnel have such privileges. 2. Implement strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all privileged accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3. Monitor CLI usage and command execution logs for unusual or unauthorized activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Segment network access to Dell CloudLin management interfaces, limiting exposure to trusted networks and IP addresses only. 5. Apply principle of least privilege (PoLP) rigorously to minimize the number of users with high-level access. 6. Stay informed on Dell’s security advisories and apply patches or updates as soon as Dell releases version 8.1.1 or later that addresses this vulnerability. 7. Conduct regular security awareness training emphasizing the importance of credential security and recognizing potential insider threats. 8. Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing potential exploitation of privilege escalation vulnerabilities in cloud management platforms. 9. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting anomalous command execution patterns. 10. If patching is delayed, consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling CLI access where feasible or using jump hosts with enhanced monitoring.