CVE-2025-38746 is a vulnerability identified in Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery versions prior to 5.5.14.0. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which pertains to the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. Specifically, this flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the affected system to potentially access sensitive information without proper authorization. The vulnerability does not require user interaction or authentication, but physical access to the device is necessary to exploit it. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.5, indicating a low severity level. The attack vector is physical (AV:P), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, with no impact on availability. The vulnerability is present in Dell's SupportAssist OS Recovery component, which is a tool designed to assist users in recovering their operating system in case of failure. Since the affected versions are prior to 5.5.14.0, systems running older versions are at risk. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links were provided at the time of publication. The vulnerability could allow an attacker with physical access to extract sensitive data from the recovery environment, potentially including system information or recovery data that should remain protected. However, the requirement for physical access limits the scope of exploitation primarily to scenarios where an attacker can directly interact with the hardware, such as theft, insider threats, or unauthorized access in a controlled environment.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-38746 is primarily related to the confidentiality of sensitive information stored or accessible via Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery. Organizations with Dell systems using vulnerable versions could face risks if devices are lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized personnel. This could lead to exposure of recovery data or system information that might aid further attacks or data breaches. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise system availability or integrity at a large scale, the exposure of sensitive information could undermine trust, violate data protection regulations such as GDPR, and potentially facilitate subsequent attacks. The requirement for physical access reduces the likelihood of remote exploitation but increases the importance of physical security controls. Organizations with high-value or sensitive data on Dell devices should be particularly cautious, as attackers with physical access could leverage this vulnerability to gain insights into system configurations or recovery mechanisms. In environments with shared or public access to hardware, such as universities, public institutions, or co-working spaces, the risk is elevated. Overall, the vulnerability represents a low-severity but non-negligible risk that should be addressed to maintain compliance and protect sensitive information.

1. Update Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery to version 5.5.14.0 or later as soon as an official patch or update is released by Dell to remediate this vulnerability. 2. Enforce strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to devices, including secure storage, access logging, and surveillance in sensitive areas. 3. Implement full disk encryption on affected systems to protect data at rest, ensuring that recovery environments do not expose unencrypted sensitive information. 4. Restrict access to recovery environments by configuring BIOS/UEFI passwords and disabling boot from external media where possible to limit unauthorized recovery attempts. 5. Conduct regular audits of device inventory and physical access policies to detect and prevent potential insider threats or device theft. 6. Educate staff on the importance of physical security and the risks associated with device loss or theft, emphasizing the need to report missing hardware promptly. 7. Monitor for updates from Dell regarding patches or additional mitigation guidance and apply them promptly. 8. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that can alert on unusual physical access or recovery environment usage.