CVE-2026-73594 is an improper certificate validation flaw (CWE-295) in Dell Secure Connect Gateway Policy Manager. An unauthenticated attacker on the adjacent network could read or alter traffic. The record rates it Medium at 6.4. Apply the update from Dell advisory DSA-2026-385.
What's affected
The record says Dell Secure Connect Gateway Policy Manager versions prior to 5.34.00.16, and versions prior to 5.36, are affected. The record's wording lists both, and we could not confirm how those two ranges relate, because Dell's advisory page returned an access denied message when we fetched it. Read DSA-2026-385 to confirm which fixed version applies to your line.
The vector requires adjacent network access, high attack complexity and user interaction. Impact is high for confidentiality and integrity, and none for availability. The record lists information disclosure, tampering and bypass of protection mechanisms as consequences.
How to check if you're exposed
Dell appliances and management software are checked through their own interfaces, not through a package manager. Open the administration console of the product and read the version on the About or System page, then compare it with the versions in the Dell advisory.
For a fleet, ask the team that owns the product for an inventory of versions, and record it somewhere central. If you track software in an inventory or SBOM, add the product and version so that the next advisory is a lookup.
What to do now
- Open Dell advisory DSA-2026-385 and confirm the fixed version for your release.
- Update the Policy Manager to that version, following Dell's instructions.
- Limit who sits on the same network segment as the product. Adjacent access is the requirement for this attack.
- Use a management VLAN or a similar boundary for the product and its gateways.
- Record the product and version in your inventory.
Why it matters
The weakness is improper certificate validation, CWE-295. A client that does not properly check the certificate of the server it connects to cannot tell the real server from an impostor. Anyone who can sit between them on the local network can then read or change the traffic. The scoring reflects that: the attacker must be close, the attack is hard to arrange, and a user action is needed.
For a policy management tool, tampering is the part to take seriously, because policy decides what the managed gateways do. Certificate checks are a basic control, and are often the first thing disabled during troubleshooting and never turned back on. KEV status is false.
Quick check
What does adjacent network access mean?
The attacker must be on the same local network segment, or one close to it, not anywhere on the internet.
Why is the version range odd?
The record lists two ranges. Confirm the exact fixed version in Dell's advisory, which we could not retrieve.
Sources
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.
