CVE-2023-28052
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 with administrator privileges may potentially exploit this vulnerability in order to modify a UEFI variable.
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 · moderate confidenceThis is a BIOS/UEFI firmware vulnerability in Dell systems where improper input validation allows a local authenticated attacker with administrator privileges to modify UEFI variables. The vulnerability exists in the BIOS itself and could potentially be used to bypass security controls or alter firmware-level settings.
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< 1.26.0< 1.22.0< 1.0.20< 1.1.20< 1.12.0< 1.1.0< 1.22.0< 1.23.0CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 your Dell Alienware system modelCheck the system model number on the physical device chassis, or use system information tools (Windows: msinfo32, Linux: dmidecode -s system-product-name) to confirm the exact model variantAffected if The system is not one of the following models: Alienware Area 51m R1, Area 51m R2, Aurora R11, Aurora R12, Aurora R13, Aurora R15, M15 R2, or M15 R3
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Retrieve the current BIOS firmware versionUse Dell Command | Configure (cctk.exe), or run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' on Windows, or 'dmidecode -s bios-version' on Linux to obtain the installed BIOS versionAffected if Unable to retrieve BIOS version (may indicate non-Dell hardware or firmware read restriction)
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Compare installed version against affected rangesCompare your retrieved BIOS version number to the affected version thresholds: Area 51m R1 < 1.26.0, Area 51m R2 < 1.22.0, Aurora R11 < 1.0.20, Aurora R12 < 1.1.20, Aurora R13 < 1.12.0, Aurora R15 < 1.1.0, M15 R2 < 1.22.0, M15 R3 < 1.23.0Affected if Your installed BIOS version falls below the threshold for your specific model (meaning the version number is lower than the cutoff listed for that model)
You are affected if you own one of the listed Dell Alienware models and your current BIOS version is lower than the specified version cutoff 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 · scoped1.0.201.1.01.1.20
Apply the Dell BIOS security update (Dell Security Advisory DSA-2023-086) to the affected Dell systems. Organizations should inventory all Dell hardware, verify BIOS versions, and apply the vendor-provided firmware patches.
Alienware Area 51m R1 → BIOS 1.26.0; Area 51m R2 → 1.22.0; Aurora R11 → 1.0.20; Aurora R12 → 1.1.20; Aurora R13 → 1.12.0; Aurora R15 → 1.1.0; M15 R2 → 1.22.0; M15 R3 → 1.23.0
- Identify the exact Alienware model and current BIOS version (e.g., via Dell SupportAssist, BIOS setup, or system information).
- Go to Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and search for the model’s BIOS update.
- Download the latest BIOS firmware that matches or exceeds the fixed version: Area 51m R1 → 1.26.0, Area 51m R2 → 1.22.0, Aurora R11 → 1.0.20, Aurora R12 → 1.1.20, Aurora R13 → 1.12.0, Aurora R15 → 1.1.0, M15 R2 → 1.22.0, M15 R3 → 1.23.0.
- Verify the file integrity (e.g., compare SHA256 hash provided on the download page).
- Connect the system to AC power; do not rely on battery for the update.
- Run the downloaded BIOS update executable (or use Dell Command Update/SupportAssist) and follow the on‑screen prompts.
- Allow the system to reboot automatically; do not interrupt or power off during the flash process.
- After the system restarts, enter BIOS setup and confirm the BIOS version matches the target fixed version.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28052 — 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-2023-28052 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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- 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
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