# CVE-2022-32481: Privilege escalation in Cyber Recovery

> An authenticated low-privileged user can escalate to root via chained docker commands in Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery virtual appliances.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Jul 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x26h-2jv4-hhgp

## What is CVE-2022-32481?

CVE-2022-32481 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell Cyber Recovery, published on 7 Jul 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery, versions prior to 19.11, contain a privilege escalation vulnerability on virtual appliance deployments. A lower-privileged authenticated user can chain docker commands to escalate privileges to root leading to complete system takeover.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-32481?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dell Powerprotect Cyber Recovery.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-32481?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-32481 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-32481 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-32481 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dell Cyber Recovery

- [CVE-2022-34372](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-34372/): Auth bypass in Cyber Recovery (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-32465](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32465/): Auth bypass in PowerProtect Cyber Recovery (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-79938](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-79938/): Auth bypass in Cyber Recovery (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2026-49809](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49809/): SQL injection in Cyber Recovery (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2026-79939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-79939/): Path traversal in Cyber Recovery (medium 5.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-32481 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-32481 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell Cyber Recovery, published on 7 Jul 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-32481 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dell Cyber Recovery. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-32481/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-32481/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-32481
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-32481
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-32481

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-32481/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.