CVE-2022-24421
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 that allows a local authenticated user to exploit via System Management Interrupt (SMI) to achieve arbitrary code execution in System Management Mode (SMM). This is a firmware-level privilege escalation issue affecting Dell devices with vulnerable BIOS versions.
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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Confirm your Dell device model is in the affected product listIdentify the exact Dell Alienware model number (e.g., Alienware 13 R3, Alienware 15 R3, etc.) from system documentation, packaging, or the device itselfAffected if the device model is NOT one of: Alienware 13 R3, 15 R3, 15 R4, 17 R4, 17 R5, Area 51m R1, Area 51m R2, or Aurora R8 - then the system is not affected by this specific CVE
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Determine the installed BIOS firmware versionAccess the BIOS version information through system setup (press F2 during boot) or use system information utilities that report BIOS versionAffected if the BIOS version cannot be determined or is unknown - then the vulnerability status cannot be confirmed
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Compare your BIOS version against the affected thresholds for your modelCross-reference your installed BIOS version with the version thresholds: Alienware 13 R3 / 15 R3 / 17 R4 require <1.16.1; 15 R4 / 17 R5 require <1.17.0; Area 51m R1 requires <1.18.0; Area 51m R2 requires <1.13.0; Aurora R8 requires <1.0.20Affected if your installed BIOS version is lower than the threshold listed for your specific model - then the system is likely affected by CVE-2022-24421
The system is affected only if it is one of the listed Dell Alienware models AND the installed BIOS version is below the specific threshold 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 vendor-supplied BIOS/firmware update from Dell to patch the improper input validation vulnerability. This typically involves downloading the BIOS update from Dell's support site and flashing the updated firmware, following vendor-provided instructions.
BIOS firmware version 1.16.1+ (13 R3/15 R3/17 R4), 1.17.0+ (15 R4/17 R5), 1.18.0+ (Area 51m R1), 1.13.0+ (Area 51m R2), or 1.0.20+ (Aurora R8)
- Navigate to Dell Support website (www.dell.com) and locate the support/drivers section for your specific Alienware or Dell Aurora model
- Identify your exact product model number and current BIOS version (available in BIOS setup or system information)
- Download the BIOS update file for version 1.16.1 or later (Alienware 13 R3, 15 R3, 17 R4), 1.17.0 or later (Alienware 15 R4, 17 R5), 1.18.0 or later (Area 51m R1), 1.13.0 or later (Area 51m R2), or 1.0.20 or later (Aurora R8)
- Run the BIOS update utility from Windows or create a bootable USB for BIOS update (depending on the update method provided)
- Follow the on-screen instructions and ensure the system remains powered throughout the update process
- Restart the system after the update completes and verify the new BIOS version is installed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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-2022-24421 — 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-2022-24421 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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