Overview
A critical buffer overflow vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-36553, has been discovered in Dell ControlVault3 and Dell ControlVault3 Plus. This flaw could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise. Immediate action is recommended to mitigate the risk.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the CvManager functionality of Dell ControlVault3. Specifically, a specially crafted API call to the ControlVault can trigger a buffer overflow, leading to memory corruption. The affected products are:
- Dell ControlVault3 versions prior to 5.15.14.19
- Dell ControlVault3 Plus versions prior to 6.2.36.47
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by issuing a malformed API call. Due to insufficient bounds checking, the call can write data beyond the allocated buffer, overwriting adjacent memory regions. This overwrite can then be leveraged to inject and execute malicious code.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score for CVE-2025-36553 is 8.8 (HIGH).
This score reflects the high potential impact of the vulnerability, including the possibility of complete system compromise.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-36553 could have severe consequences:
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): An attacker could execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- Data Theft: Sensitive data stored within the ControlVault could be compromised.
- System Instability: Memory corruption can lead to system crashes and denial-of-service conditions.
- Privilege Escalation: An attacker could potentially elevate their privileges on the system.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
Dell has released updates to address this vulnerability. Users of Dell ControlVault3 and Dell ControlVault3 Plus are strongly advised to update 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.
You can download the updates and find installation instructions from the Dell support website. Please refer to the Dell Security Advisory for more details (link below).
Interim Mitigations (if immediate patching is not possible):
- Monitor ControlVault API calls for anomalies.
- Restrict access to the ControlVault API to trusted applications and users only.
