CVE-2025-31361 is a privilege escalation vulnerability identified in the Broadcom BCM5820X chipset, specifically within the Dell ControlVault3 and ControlVault3 Plus devices prior to versions 5.15.14.19 and 6.2.36.47 respectively. The vulnerability stems from CWE-908, which involves the use of uninitialized resources, in this case within the WBIO_USH_ADD_RECORD functionality of the ControlVault WBDI driver. The flaw allows an attacker with limited privileges (local access) to invoke a specially crafted WinBioControlUnit API call that manipulates uninitialized memory or resources, resulting in privilege escalation. This can enable an attacker to gain higher system privileges, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive biometric and cryptographic operations managed by the ControlVault hardware security module. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.7 reflects a high severity due to the vulnerability's ability to impact confidentiality and integrity significantly, the low complexity of the attack, and the fact that no user interaction is required. Although no public exploits are currently known, the vulnerability poses a serious risk to systems relying on Dell ControlVault devices for secure authentication and cryptographic functions. The vulnerability affects systems where the Broadcom BCM5820X chipset is integrated, which is common in enterprise Dell hardware. The exploit requires local access with low privileges, meaning attackers must already have some foothold on the system to escalate privileges further. The scope is considered changed (S:C) because the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially compromised component. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates urgent attention from affected organizations.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, particularly in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure where Dell hardware with Broadcom BCM5820X chipsets is deployed. The ability to escalate privileges locally can allow attackers to bypass security controls, access sensitive biometric data, manipulate cryptographic keys, or disable security features, leading to potential data breaches and system compromise. The confidentiality and integrity of authentication mechanisms relying on ControlVault hardware could be undermined, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and fraud. Additionally, organizations with strict regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR) may face legal and reputational consequences if this vulnerability is exploited. The limited availability impact reduces the risk of denial-of-service conditions, but the overall threat to system security remains high. Since the attack requires local access, initial compromise vectors such as phishing or insider threats could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability further. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high CVSS score indicates that once exploited, the consequences could be severe.

1. Monitor Dell and Broadcom advisories closely for official patches or firmware updates addressing CVE-2025-31361 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Restrict access to the WinBioControlUnit API and related ControlVault driver interfaces to trusted administrators only, minimizing the attack surface. 3. Implement strict endpoint security controls to prevent unauthorized local access, including robust user authentication, application whitelisting, and privilege management. 4. Employ behavioral monitoring and anomaly detection to identify unusual calls to biometric or hardware security module APIs that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Conduct regular audits of systems using Dell ControlVault devices to ensure firmware and driver versions are up to date and to detect unauthorized changes. 6. Educate internal security teams about the vulnerability to ensure rapid incident response if exploitation is suspected. 7. Consider network segmentation and isolation of critical systems using affected hardware to limit lateral movement opportunities for attackers. 8. Use multi-factor authentication and additional security layers beyond biometric authentication to reduce reliance on potentially compromised hardware modules.