CVE-2026-89444
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. The dell-wmi-sysman driver, responsible for managing Dell WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) system attributes, incorrectly logs sensitive information. Specifically, when setting a BIOS attribute, the driver populates a security buffer with the current administrator password and then inadvertently dumps the entire buffer, including the plaintext password, into the kernel log. This can lead to the disclosure of the administrator password to any user with access to the kernel logs.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having Moderate impact because exploitation requires local system access on physical Dell hardware and only occurs when an administrator actively modifies BIOS attributes. Systems running on virtualized platforms, cloud infrastructure, or hardware from other vendors do not load the affected driver and remain unaffected. Exposure of the credential is also contingent upon having read access to kernel log buffers, which is further restricted in hardened environments.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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