CVE-2025-21107

High

Published: 30 January 2025

Published

30 January 2025

Modified

07 February 2025

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0005 15.6th percentile

Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-21107 is a high-severity Unquoted Search Path or Element (CWE-428) vulnerability in Dell Networker. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by Unquoted Path (T1574.009); ranked at the 15.6th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Path Interception by Unquoted Path (T1574.009). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Directly remediates the unquoted search path vulnerability in Dell NetWorker by applying vendor patches to versions prior to 19.11.0.3, preventing low-privileged code execution.

CM-6 Configuration Settings partial match

prevent

Secure configuration settings enforce hardened permissions on search path directories, blocking low-privileged attackers from placing malicious executables to exploit the unquoted path flaw.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

prevent

Least privilege enforcement limits the privileges available for exploitation, reducing the impact of code execution from low-privileged local access via the unquoted search path vulnerability.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1574.009 Path Interception by Unquoted Path Stealth

Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking vulnerable file path references.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

Direct mapping from CWE-428 unquoted search path to T1574.009 Path Interception by Unquoted Path, enabling local privilege escalation to arbitrary code execution.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

Dell NetWorker, version(s) prior to 19.11.0.3, all versions of 19.10 & prior versions contain(s) an Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Code execution.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-21107 is an Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerability (CWE-428) affecting Dell NetWorker in versions prior to 19.11.0.3, including all versions of 19.10 and earlier. This flaw exists in the backup and recovery software, where the unquoted path in a search element allows unintended executable resolution during system operations.

A low-privileged attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability with low complexity and no user interaction required, as indicated by its CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-064, available at https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000278811/dsa-2025-064-security-update-for-dell-networker-networker-virtual-edition-and-networker-management-console-multiple-component-vulnerabilities, details the security update addressing this and other vulnerabilities in NetWorker, NetWorker Virtual Edition, and NetWorker Management Console. Practitioners should apply the recommended patches to mitigate the risk.