Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs): authentication bypass flaw under attack

What is affected

Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs) is mostly run by companies, schools and public bodies, not on home computers. You are unlikely to have it yourself, but organisations that hold your data may. Breaches that start with flaws like this one are how personal data ends up leaked.

Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs) contains an use of hard-coded credentials vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system and root-level persistence.

What an attacker can do

This is a authentication bypass flaw. It lets an attacker get in without a valid username and password and act as a legitimate user, often as an administrator.

How it is reached

Over the internet or network

Access the attacker needs

No account needed

Does the victim have to do something?

No, works without the victim doing anything

What to do

1. At home: nothing to install. Keep your own devices updated and use a different password for every service, so that a breach at one organisation does not open your other accounts.
2. If you administer Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs) at work: apply the vendor's fix or mitigation now and review logs for signs of compromise, because the flaw was being exploited before it was listed.
3. If the product is past its support date and no fix exists, take it off the internet or retire it.

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor advisories and fixes

• dell.comwww.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000426773/dsa-2026-079
• dell.comwww.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000426742/recoverpoint-for-vms-apply-the-remediation-scri
• cloud.google.comcloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/unc6201-exploiting-dell-recoverpoint-zero

How urgent is it

CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on February 18, 2026, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by February 21, 2026, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.

The EPSS model estimates a 13% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 96% of all scored vulnerabilities.

Its CVSS severity score is 10.0 out of 10 (critical), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.

Technical description

Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines, versions prior to 6.0.3.1 HF1, contain a hardcoded credential vulnerability. This is considered critical as an unauthenticated remote attacker with knowledge of the hardcoded credential could potentially exploit this vulnerability leading to unauthorized access to the underlying operating system and root-level persistence. Dell recommends that customers upgrade or apply one of the remediations as soon as possible.