Introduction
Attackers who gain firmware-level code execution on a business laptop can bypass operating system protections, extract credentials, and establish persistence that survives reimaging. Dell ControlVault3, a hardware security module present in over 100 Dell laptop models, recently received a critical firmware update to address a buffer overflow vulnerability that could enable exactly this scenario. This post summarizes the technical details, affected versions, vendor security history, and key references for CVE-2025-32089.
Dell Technologies is one of the largest PC and server manufacturers globally, with a strong presence in enterprise, government, and industrial sectors. ControlVault3 is Dell's hardware-based security module, responsible for storing credentials, biometric data, and cryptographic keys. Its compromise can have significant consequences for organizations relying on strong authentication and hardware-backed security.
Technical Information
CVE-2025-32089 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the CvManager_SBI functionality of Dell ControlVault3 firmware prior to 5.15.14.19 and ControlVault3 Plus prior to 6.2.36.47. The flaw is triggered by specially crafted ControlVault API calls that provide oversized or malformed input to the vulnerable function. The function fails to validate the length of input data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, resulting in a classic CWE-120 buffer overflow.
When exploited, this allows local authenticated attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions within the firmware. By controlling the overflow, attackers can potentially redirect execution flow to attacker-controlled code, achieving arbitrary code execution within the firmware context. This level of access enables extraction of credentials, disabling of security policies, or installation of persistent implants that survive OS reinstallations and disk encryption. The vulnerability is exploitable by any local process with access to the ControlVault API, and does not require administrative privileges.
No public exploit code or vulnerable code snippets are available as of the disclosure date. The vulnerability was identified and reported by Cisco Talos, and is related to a broader set of ControlVault3 firmware issues disclosed in 2025.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Dell ControlVault3 firmware prior to version 5.15.14.19
- Dell ControlVault3 Plus firmware prior to version 6.2.36.47
These components are present in over 100 Dell laptop models, including Latitude, Precision, Pro, and Rugged series. Systems running firmware versions below these thresholds are vulnerable. The vulnerability is present regardless of whether biometric or smartcard authentication is actively used, as long as the ControlVault3 module is enabled.
Vendor Security History
Dell has a history of critical vulnerabilities in both driver and firmware components. Notable examples include:
- CVE-2021-21551: Insufficient access control in the dbutil driver, affecting millions of Dell systems and enabling privilege escalation.
- ReVault vulnerabilities (2025): Multiple CVEs affecting ControlVault3 firmware, enabling firmware implants and credential extraction.
Dell has generally responded with timely patches, but the recurrence of severe vulnerabilities in ControlVault3 highlights ongoing challenges in firmware security validation and code review.
