CVE-2024-22447: Dell Peripheral Manager RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-22447 Overview

CVE-2024-22447 is an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability [CWE-427] in Dell Peripheral Manager versions prior to 1.7.3. An attacker with local access can place a malicious dynamic-link library (DLL) in a location searched before the legitimate library. When Dell Peripheral Manager loads the planted DLL, it executes attacker-controlled code in the context of the application.

Successful exploitation leads to arbitrary code execution on the affected Windows host. The flaw requires local access and user interaction, which limits remote attack scenarios but remains a viable post-compromise privilege and persistence mechanism.

Critical Impact
Local attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution by preloading a malicious DLL into the Dell Peripheral Manager search path, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected endpoint.

Affected Products

Dell Peripheral Manager versions prior to 1.7.3
Windows endpoints with Dell Peripheral Manager installed
Dell client systems using Peripheral Manager for device configuration

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-16 - CVE-2024-22447 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-22447

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from how Dell Peripheral Manager resolves DLL dependencies at runtime. The application searches multiple directories when loading libraries and does not enforce a fully qualified path for all dependencies. An attacker who can write a DLL to a directory earlier in the search order can cause the application to load the malicious library instead of the intended system DLL.

Once loaded, the malicious DLL executes within the Dell Peripheral Manager process. The attacker inherits the privileges of the user running the application. This makes the issue useful for persistence, privilege escalation in misconfigured environments, and execution of additional payloads from a trusted-looking process.

The vulnerability is classified as Uncontrolled Search Path Element [CWE-427]. It belongs to the broader class of DLL hijacking and DLL preloading flaws affecting Windows desktop software.

Root Cause

Dell Peripheral Manager calls Windows DLL loading APIs without specifying absolute paths or restricting the search order to safe directories. The default Windows DLL search behavior includes the application directory and other writable locations, allowing a planted DLL to take precedence over legitimate libraries.

Attack Vector

An attacker first needs local access or a foothold that allows writing files to a directory in the DLL search path. The attacker stages a malicious DLL with a filename matching a library that Dell Peripheral Manager loads. When a user launches or interacts with the application, the planted DLL is loaded and its DllMain executes attacker code. User interaction is required to trigger the load, consistent with the vulnerability's local attack vector.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. See the Dell Security Update for DSA-2024-055 for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-22447

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected DLL files in the Dell Peripheral Manager installation directory or user-writable directories adjacent to the application binary
Dell Peripheral Manager process loading DLLs from non-standard paths such as user profile directories or temporary folders
Newly created DLL files with names matching common Windows system libraries placed near the application executable

Detection Strategies

Monitor module load events (Sysmon Event ID 7) for the Dell Peripheral Manager process and alert on loads from unusual paths
Baseline the expected DLL load set for Dell Peripheral Manager and flag deviations
Inspect file creation events for DLL writes in directories used by Dell Peripheral Manager

Monitoring Recommendations

Track installed versions of Dell Peripheral Manager across the fleet and flag hosts below 1.7.3
Enable command-line and module load logging through Sysmon or EDR telemetry
Correlate DLL writes from low-integrity processes with subsequent loads by trusted Dell binaries

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-22447

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Dell Peripheral Manager to version 1.7.3 or later on all affected endpoints
Restrict write permissions on the Dell Peripheral Manager installation directory to administrators only
Audit user-writable directories in the system PATH for unauthorized DLL files

Patch Information

Dell has released Dell Peripheral Manager version 1.7.3, which remediates this vulnerability. Refer to the Dell Security Update for DSA-2024-055 for download instructions and full advisory content.

Workarounds

Remove Dell Peripheral Manager from systems where it is not required until patching is complete
Apply Windows AppLocker or Windows Defender Application Control policies to block unauthorized DLLs from loading into the Dell Peripheral Manager process
Enforce least-privilege user accounts to limit the directories where an attacker can plant a malicious DLL

bash

# Verify the installed Dell Peripheral Manager version on Windows
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*Dell Peripheral Manager*" } |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion