Overview
A high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-32089, has been discovered in Dell ControlVault3 and ControlVault3 Plus. This flaw allows for potential arbitrary code execution, making it imperative for Dell users to apply the necessary updates immediately.
The vulnerability resides within the CvManager_SBI functionality of Dell ControlVault3 devices. Specifically, versions prior to 5.15.14.19 (ControlVault3) and 6.2.36.47 (ControlVault3 Plus) are affected. Exploitation involves crafting a malicious ControlVault API call to trigger the buffer overflow.
Technical Details
CVE-2025-32089 is a classic buffer overflow vulnerability. A specially crafted ControlVault API call exceeding the expected buffer size within the CvManager_SBI component can overwrite adjacent memory regions. This overwrite can be leveraged by an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected service.
The attack vector involves sending a malformed API request to the ControlVault service, which is responsible for managing security features like fingerprint authentication and smart card access. Due to insufficient input validation, the oversized request overflows a buffer, corrupting memory and potentially redirecting execution flow to attacker-controlled code.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) v3.1 score for CVE-2025-32089 is 8.8 (HIGH).
- Attack Vector (AV): Network
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low
- Privileges Required (PR): None
- User Interaction (UI): None
- Scope (S): Unchanged
- Confidentiality Impact (C): High
- Integrity Impact (I): High
- Availability Impact (A): High
This high score reflects the ease of exploitation and the significant impact of a successful attack.
Possible Impact
A successful exploitation of CVE-2025-32089 can lead to severe consequences:
- Arbitrary Code Execution: An attacker can execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- Data Theft: Sensitive data stored or processed by the ControlVault service can be compromised.
- System Compromise: Complete system compromise, potentially allowing the attacker to install malware, create backdoors, and control the system remotely.
- Privilege Escalation: Attackers can gain elevated privileges on the system.
- Loss of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability: The “CIA triad” of security is severely impacted.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to update Dell ControlVault3 and ControlVault3 Plus to the following versions or later:
- Dell ControlVault3: Update to version 5.15.14.19 or later.
- Dell ControlVault3 Plus: Update to version 6.2.36.47 or later.
Dell provides updates through their support website. Follow these steps:
- Visit the Dell Support KB article (DSA-2025-228) for detailed instructions.
- Identify your Dell system model.
- Download and install the appropriate ControlVault3 driver and firmware updates.
- Reboot your system after the update is complete.
