Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Dell EMC InsightIQ before 4.1.4 uses risky cryptography in its SSH component. Dell says a remote unauthenticated attacker could potentially bypass authentication and take complete control of InsightIQ. This is a high-severity infrastructure management risk, especially where InsightIQ SSH is reachable from untrusted networks.
Executive priority
Make this a near-term remediation item for teams operating Dell EMC InsightIQ. The issue affects a management system and could allow full takeover, but current provided evidence does not show known active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-36298 is CWE-327 in Dell EMC InsightIQ versions prior to 4.1.4. The CVSS 3.1 score is 8.1 with network attack vector, no privileges or user interaction required, high complexity, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Dell EMC/Isilon InsightIQ deployments running versions earlier than 4.1.4. Systems with SSH reachable from broader internal networks, VPN users, or the internet should be prioritized. The source bundle does not identify affected CPEs or more granular version ranges.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle, and the sources do not state active exploitation. The described attack is remote and unauthenticated, but CVSS marks attack complexity high. Successful exploitation could lead to authentication bypass and remote takeover of InsightIQ.
Researcher notes
The public data is sparse: it names risky SSH cryptographic algorithms but does not detail the exact algorithm, handshake condition, or exploit path. Avoid assuming exploitability beyond Dell’s statement. Validation should focus on version, SSH exposure, and confirmation of Dell’s recommended upgrade.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Dell EMC InsightIQ to version 4.1.4 or later per Dell guidance.
- Review Dell KB 000191604 for supported upgrade and environment-specific guidance.
- Prioritize upgrades for InsightIQ systems with reachable SSH services.
- Monitor Dell security advisories for any revised remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all Dell EMC InsightIQ deployments and record installed versions.
- Treat InsightIQ versions earlier than 4.1.4 as affected.
- Identify which InsightIQ SSH services are reachable from untrusted or broad internal networks.
- After remediation, confirm each InsightIQ deployment runs version 4.1.4 or later.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-327: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-36298 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/000191604CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm
Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.