CVE-2022-24416
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 · uneditedDell BIOS contains an improper input validation vulnerability. A local authenticated malicious user may potentially exploit this vulnerability by using an SMI to gain arbitrary code execution during SMM.
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 confidenceDell BIOS contains an improper input validation vulnerability where a local authenticated attacker can manipulate System Management Interrupts (SMI) to achieve arbitrary code execution in System Management Mode (SMM), which runs at the highest privilege level on x86 processors.
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< 1.16.1< 1.16.1< 1.17.0< 1.16.1< 1.17.0< 1.18.0< 1.13.0< 1.0.20CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the exact Alienware system modelRun 'dmidecode -s system-product-name' or check the system label/BIOS information screen to confirm the exact model (e.g., Alienware 13 R3, Alienware 15 R3, etc.)Affected if The model matches one of the affected products: Alienware 13 R3, 15 R3, 15 R4, 17 R4, 17 R5, Area 51m R1, Area 51m R2, or Aurora R8
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Retrieve the current BIOS firmware versionRun 'dmidecode -s bios-version' or access the BIOS setup (F2 during boot) and navigate to the BIOS information page to note the installed firmware versionAffected if The firmware version cannot be determined or is inaccessible (may indicate older BIOS)
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Compare installed version against the fixed version for your modelCross-reference your model and installed version: Alienware 13 R3 / 15 R3 / 17 R4 / Aurora R8 need version >=1.16.1 (or >=1.0.20 for Aurora R8); 15 R4 / 17 R5 need >=1.17.0; Area 51m R1 needs >=1.18.0; Area 51m R2 needs >=1.13.0Affected if The installed version is lower than the required fixed version for your specific model
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Verify local authenticated access controlsReview system access controls: check if local user accounts exist, review authentication mechanisms, and confirm whether untrusted local users have privileged accessAffected if Untrusted local users have administrative or root-level access to the system, enabling them to trigger the SMI manipulation described in the CVE
You are affected if you own one of the listed Alienware models and your current BIOS firmware version is below the minimum version specified for that model.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped1.0.201.13.01.16.1
Apply the Dell vendor BIOS/firmware update to remediate this vulnerability. This typically requires administrative access and may require physical presence to apply the firmware update.
BIOS/Firmware 1.16.1, 1.17.0, 1.18.0, 1.13.0, or 1.0.20 (model-specific)
- 1. Identify the exact Alienware or Dell system model and current firmware version by running 'dwgrep' or checking BIOS information during boot-up
- 2. Navigate to Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and enter the system's Service Tag or model number
- 3. Locate the BIOS/firmware update section and download the specific update version matching your model: Alienware 13 R3/15 R3/17 R4: 1.16.1, Alienware 15 R4/17 R5: 1.17.0, Alienware Area 51m R1: 1.18.0, Alienware Area 51m R2: 1.13.0, Alienware Aurora R8: 1.0.20
- 4. Review the firmware update README for any prerequisites (such as AC power connection, battery charge level, or disabling secure boot)
- 5. Run the Dell BIOS update executable or firmware flash utility as an administrator
- 6. Allow the system to restart and complete the firmware flashing process - do not interrupt power during this update
- 7. After reboot, verify the firmware version has been updated to the fixed release in BIOS settings
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-24416 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-24416 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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