CVE-2025-46685 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-378, which pertains to the creation of temporary files with insecure permissions. This security flaw exists in Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery versions prior to 5.5.15.1. The vulnerability allows a low-privileged attacker who has local access to the system to exploit the insecure permissions on temporary files created by the software. Because these files are created with overly permissive access rights, an attacker can potentially manipulate or replace these files to escalate their privileges on the system. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, and the attack complexity is high, meaning it is not trivial to exploit but feasible under certain conditions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high). The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet, though Dell is expected to release updates. The vulnerability is significant because SupportAssist OS Recovery is commonly pre-installed on many Dell systems, often used in enterprise environments for system recovery and diagnostics, making the potential impact broad if exploited.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of Dell hardware and SupportAssist OS Recovery in enterprise and governmental environments. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification or deletion of critical system files, and disruption of system availability. This could impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems, leading to data breaches, operational downtime, and loss of trust. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable due to the sensitive nature of their data and the criticality of their systems. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but raises concerns about insider threats or attackers gaining physical or remote desktop access. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure increases the window of exposure, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation steps.

1. Monitor Dell’s official channels closely for the release of patches addressing CVE-2025-46685 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Restrict local access to systems running Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery to trusted personnel only, using strong physical security controls and endpoint access management. 3. Implement strict file system permission auditing and monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to temporary files or unusual file creation patterns. 4. Use application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to prevent unauthorized execution of code that could exploit this vulnerability. 5. Educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce policies to minimize unnecessary user privileges. 6. Consider disabling or uninstalling SupportAssist OS Recovery if it is not essential for business operations until a patch is available. 7. Employ network segmentation to limit the spread of an attacker who gains local access to one system. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on local privilege escalation vectors to identify and remediate similar weaknesses.