CVE-2025-38747 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery software versions prior to 5.5.14.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-378, which pertains to the creation of temporary files with insecure permissions. Specifically, the issue arises because the software creates temporary files that are accessible with overly permissive access rights, allowing local authenticated users to potentially manipulate these files. Exploiting this vulnerability could enable an attacker with limited privileges on the affected system to escalate their privileges, gaining higher-level access such as administrative or SYSTEM-level rights. The vulnerability requires local authentication, meaning the attacker must have some level of access to the system already, but does not require user interaction beyond that. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and privileges required. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that mitigation may rely on vendor updates or workarounds once available. The vulnerability affects Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery, a tool commonly pre-installed on Dell systems to assist with OS recovery and troubleshooting, which is often integrated deeply into the system's recovery environment.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for enterprises and institutions relying on Dell hardware with SupportAssist OS Recovery installed. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker with local access to elevate privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical services, and the ability to deploy further malware or ransomware. Given that SupportAssist OS Recovery is often used in enterprise and business-class Dell systems, organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure could face increased risk. The vulnerability's exploitation could undermine trust in system recovery processes and complicate incident response efforts. Additionally, since the vulnerability requires local authentication, insider threats or attackers who have gained initial footholds through other means (e.g., phishing, stolen credentials) could leverage this flaw to deepen their access and control.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Immediately inventory all Dell systems to identify those running vulnerable versions of SupportAssist OS Recovery. 2) Monitor Dell's official channels for patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-38747 and apply them promptly once available. 3) Implement strict access controls and endpoint security measures to limit local user privileges and prevent unauthorized local access. 4) Employ application whitelisting and integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to temporary files or system recovery components. 5) Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious activities indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 6) Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities and enforce strong authentication policies to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 7) Where possible, restrict physical and remote access to critical systems to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 8) Consider disabling or restricting the use of SupportAssist OS Recovery temporarily if no immediate patch is available and if operationally feasible.