Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
FreeIPMI versions before 1.6.19 contain a memory-corruption flaw in a Dell system-information function. An attacker reaching the vulnerable path could potentially crash the process or compromise confidentiality and integrity. The supplied CVSS rating is 9.8, but available evidence does not confirm real-world exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as an urgent patching and exposure-validation item, particularly on management systems using Dell CMC queries. Prioritize upgrading exposed or frequently automated installations. Do not characterize it as an active incident solely from the critical score because exploitation has not been substantiated.
Technical view
CVE-2026-85508 is a stack-based buffer overflow, classified as CWE-121, in _output_dell_system_info_cmc_ipv6_info within ipmi-oem/ipmi-oem-dell.c. The affected path is the cmc-ipv6-info subcommand of dell get-system-info. The record identifies FreeIPMI releases before 1.6.19 as vulnerable.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where FreeIPMI versions earlier than 1.6.19 are installed and ipmi-oem processes Dell CMC IPv6 information. The supplied CVSS vector describes network reachability without privileges or user interaction, but the bundle does not explain the exact attack preconditions or affected deployment configurations.
Exploitation context
The supplied CVSS 3.1 score is 9.8, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. However, the CVE is not listed as KEV, and the supplied sources provide no evidence of active exploitation, public exploit availability, or confirmed attacks.
Researcher notes
The record identifies the vulnerable function and command path but does not document the malformed input, reachable data flow, affected operating systems, or demonstrated impact. The supplied affected-version metadata is internally sparse, so validate package versions against the explicit statement that releases before 1.6.19 are affected.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade FreeIPMI to version 1.6.19 or later using trusted vendor or distribution packages.
- Until upgraded, avoid the affected Dell cmc-ipv6-info operation where operationally feasible.
- Restrict IPMI management communications to trusted administrative systems and networks.
- Check GNU FreeIPMI and operating-system vendor guidance for platform-specific remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed FreeIPMI and ipmi-oem versions; flag every release earlier than 1.6.19.
- Identify scripts, automation, or administrators using dell get-system-info with cmc-ipv6-info.
- After remediation, verify each system reports FreeIPMI version 1.6.19 or later.
- Review relevant process and system logs for unexplained ipmi-oem crashes, without treating absence as proof of safety.
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-121: 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 lookupCVE-2026-85508 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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.
SSVC decision data
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:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9mitreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/28/5CVE reference, mitre
- https://www.gnu.org/software/freeipmi/CVE reference, mitre
- https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/freeipmi/freeipmi-1.6.19.tar.gzCVE reference, mitre
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.
Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Stack-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.