CVE-2026-82153 in OS Recovery Tool
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2026
Dell OS Recovery Tool, versions prior to 2.4.4, contains an Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerability. A low privileged attacker with physical access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information Disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2026
The Dell OS Recovery Tool, specifically in versions preceding the release of version 2.4.4, exhibits a critical security flaw categorized as an Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information. This vulnerability arises from the application's failure to adequately protect sensitive data stored on the local system during its operation. The tool is designed to assist users in recovering or reinstalling operating systems, often requiring access to configuration files, recovery keys, or other authentication credentials necessary for establishing secure connections with Dell servers and managing disk partitions. When these elements are not encrypted or properly secured within the file system, they become accessible to any process running on the machine that has read permissions for those specific directories. This architectural oversight represents a significant deviation from security best practices regarding data at rest protection, where sensitive artifacts should be stored in isolated, permission-restricted locations with encryption applied by default.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered around information disclosure, which can have cascading effects on system integrity and user privacy. A low privileged attacker who gains physical access to the device can exploit this weakness without needing elevated administrative privileges or complex exploitation techniques. By navigating to the directories where the OS Recovery Tool stores its temporary files, logs, or configuration data, an adversary can extract sensitive information such as recovery tokens, network credentials, or potentially even partial system images containing personal user data. This exposure compromises the confidentiality of the affected environment and may facilitate further attacks if the disclosed information is used in conjunction with other vulnerabilities or social engineering tactics to gain deeper access into corporate networks or cloud accounts associated with the device.
From a classification perspective, this issue aligns directly with CWE-312, which defines Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information as a weakness where sensitive data is stored without adequate protection mechanisms such as encryption or strict file permissions. Furthermore, in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability supports techniques associated with Credential Access and Data from Local System, specifically under tactics like Collection and Exfiltration over Local Networks if the attacker proceeds to use the stolen credentials remotely. The physical access requirement places this within the realm of attacks that target devices when they are unattended or physically accessible, highlighting the importance of securing not just network perimeters but also local storage media against unauthorized inspection by individuals with brief physical proximity to the hardware.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary and most effective mitigation is to upgrade the Dell OS Recovery Tool to version 2.4.4 or later, where these insecure storage practices have been addressed through improved data handling protocols. For environments where upgrading may not be immediately feasible due to compatibility constraints, administrators should enforce strict physical access controls to prevent unauthorized individuals from interacting with the hardware. Additionally, implementing full disk encryption on all endpoints ensures that even if an attacker accesses the file system and retrieves sensitive files stored by the tool, the data remains unreadable without the proper decryption keys. Regular security audits of third-party utility applications installed on corporate devices are also recommended to identify similar insecure storage patterns before they can be exploited in broader attack campaigns.