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CVE-2026-59917 is an Improper Access Control vulnerability identified in Dell Display and Peripheral Manager (DDPM) for Windows. The flaw resides in versions of the software prior to 2.3.0.17. An attacker with low-privileged local access can exploit this weakness. Successful exploitation leads to Elevation of Privileges and arbitrary code execution. This is not a bug in authentication but in authorization—the software fails to properly verify if a user has the right to perform a specific action or access a specific resource.
The vulnerability is rooted in how DDPM manages its services and inter-process communication. The `DisplayManager.Service.exe` runs with high integrity (SYSTEM level) to manage display and peripheral settings. A low-privileged user (standard user) can interact with this service through named pipes or other local IPC mechanisms. Because of improper access control checks, a low-privileged user can send crafted requests to the high-privilege service. The service accepts these requests without verifying that the caller has the necessary permissions. This allows the low-privileged user to perform actions that should be restricted to administrators. For example, an attacker could instruct the service to execute arbitrary commands with SYSTEM privileges, write files to protected directories, or modify system configurations. The CVSS score assigned by Dell is 7.8 (HIGH), with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This indicates the attack is local, has low complexity, requires low privileges, and needs no user interaction. The vulnerability has a CVSS:3.1 severity rating of 7.8 (High). The NVD published the CVE on August 12, 2026, with the last modification on August 17, 2026.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Windows
Version: < 2.3.0.17
Vulnerability: Improper Access Control
Severity: High (CVSS 7.8)
Date: 08/12/2026
Prediction: Patch expected 08/12/2026
What Undercode Say:
Analytics indicate a local attack vector (AV:L) with low attack complexity (AC:L). The required privileges are low (PR:L). No user interaction is needed (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). The EPSS score is 0.11% (1st percentile), indicating a low probability of exploitation in the wild. No proof-of-concept exploit has been recorded. The CISA KEV catalog has not listed this CVE. The vulnerability is locally reachable. The attack complexity is low, and conditions are stable for exploitation. A standard user account is sufficient to trigger the vulnerability. The exploitation does not require any other user to perform any action. The impact remains within the security scope of the vulnerable component. However, a successful attack can access everything the component can access. The confidentiality impact is high.
Exploit: (Educational Purposes!)
1. Identify the Service:
Get-Service -Name "DisplayManager.Service" | Select-Object Name, DisplayName, Status, StartType
2. Check Service Permissions:
sc.exe sdshow DisplayManager.Service
3. Interact with the Service (Example using a tool like `psexec` or a custom named pipe client):
This is a conceptual example. The actual exploit would involve sending a specific, crafted request to the service's named pipe to execute a command. An attacker might use a tool to send a command to the service. .\psexec.exe -accepteula -s -d cmd.exe /c "whoami > C:\temp\whoami.txt"
The above is a representation of the exploitation technique and is for educational purposes only. The actual vulnerability requires specific crafted requests.
Protection:
- Update Software: The primary and most effective mitigation is to upgrade to DDPM version 2.3.0.17 or later.
- Apply Patches: Dell has released security updates to address this vulnerability.
- Restrict Local Access: Limit local access to systems running the vulnerable software to trusted users only.
- Monitor Logs: Monitor system and application logs for unusual activities or attempts to interact with the DDPM service.
Impact:
- Elevation of Privilege: A low-privileged attacker can gain SYSTEM-level privileges, compromising the entire system.
- Arbitrary Code Execution: With elevated privileges, the attacker can execute any code, install programs, view, change, or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights.
- System Compromise: The attacker can fully compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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