dbcve.org
Display ManagerApplication · Dell

CVE-2023-32474

MEDIUM · 6.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.1.1.21 or later.
See remediation →
66/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Dell Display Manager application, version 2.1.1.17 and prior, contain an insecure operation on windows junction/mount point. A local malicious user could potentially exploit this vulnerability during installation leading to arbitrary folder or file deletion

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Dell Display Manager versions 2.1.17 and prior contain an insecure operation vulnerability during installation where the installer does not properly validate or sanitize Windows junction points and mount points. A local attacker with malicious intent could exploit this to delete arbitrary folders or files on the system by manipulating junction points during the installation process, potentially leading to denial of service or privilege escalation through file deletion.

MitigationUsers should upgrade to the latest version of Dell Display Manager once available from Dell. In the interim, ensure that only trusted users have local access to systems and that installation is performed by privileged users in controlled environments. Organizations should monitor for suspicious installation behaviors and implement least-privilege access controls.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Display ManagerApplication
Affected:< 2.1.1.21

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed Dell Display Manager version via Programs and Features
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, look for 'Dell Display Manager' in the list and note the version column. Alternatively, open Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall, search for the key with DisplayName containing 'Dell Display Manager' and read the 'DisplayVersion' value.
    Affected if The displayed version is 2.1.17, 2.1.16, 2.1.15, or any version prior to 2.1.1.21 (versions below 2.1.1.21 are affected).
  2. Check Dell Display Manager executable version
    Locate the main executable, typically at C:\Program Files\Dell\Dell Display Manager\ddm.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Display Manager\ddm.exe. Right-click the file, select Properties, and view the Details tab for the Product Version.
    Affected if The product version shown is below 2.1.1.21 (for example, 2.1.1.20, 2.1.0.0, or any earlier version).
  3. Check Dell product registry for version
    Open Registry Editor and look under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Dell\Dell Display Manager for a Version or ProductVersion entry. Also check HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dell\Dell Display Manager if running on 64-bit Windows.
    Affected if The version value found is less than 2.1.1.21.

If Dell Display Manager is installed and the version is 2.1.17 or any version prior to 2.1.1.21, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.1.1.21 or later
Fixed in 2.1.1.21
Interim mitigation

Users should upgrade to the latest version of Dell Display Manager once available from Dell. In the interim, ensure that only trusted users have local access to systems and that installation is performed by privileged users in controlled environments. Organizations should monitor for suspicious installation behaviors and implement least-privilege access controls.

Recommended fix High confidence

Dell Display Manager 2.1.1.21

  1. Navigate to the official Dell support website (www.dell.com) and search for Dell Display Manager
  2. Locate the download page for Dell Display Manager version 2.1.1.21 or later
  3. Download the installer for the fixed version
  4. Uninstall the current version of Dell Display Manager (2.1.1.17 or prior) from the system
  5. Run the installer for version 2.1.1.21 or later
  6. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
  7. Verify the installed version is 2.1.1.21 or higher

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Display Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,970
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-32474 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data