CVE-2023-32480
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. An unauthenticated physical attacker may potentially exploit this vulnerability to perform arbitrary code execution.
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 confidenceDell BIOS contains an improper input validation vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to potentially execute arbitrary code. This is a firmware-level vulnerability in Dell systems that could allow an attacker with physical proximity to compromise the system's boot process or execute code outside normal operating system 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< 1.17.0< 1.19.0< 1.17.0< 2.19.1< 2.19.1< 2.19.1< 2.19.1< 1.12.1CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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.
-
Identify the exact Dell system modelCheck the system model number via the Dell logo on the chassis, or run 'wmic computersystem get model' from Windows, or 'cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_name' from LinuxAffected if The model matches one of the affected products: Alienware M15 R7, G15 5510, G15 5520, Inspiron 14 5410, Inspiron 14 5418, Inspiron 15 5510, Inspiron 15 5518, or Inspiron 16 7620 2 In 1
-
Retrieve the current BIOS firmware versionRun 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' from Windows command prompt, or 'sudo dmidecode -s bios-version' from Linux terminal, or check via Dell Support Assist applicationAffected if The BIOS version returned is lower than the version threshold for your specific model
-
Compare installed version against affected rangeMatch your system model to its threshold: Alienware M15 R7 needs >=1.17.0, G15 5510 needs >=1.19.0, G15 5520 needs >=1.17.0, Inspiron 14/15 5410/5418/5510/5518 needs >=2.19.1, Inspiron 16 7620 2 In 1 needs >=1.12.1Affected if Your installed BIOS version is below the required threshold for your model
-
Verify the vulnerability trigger conditionConfirm the system BIOS is accessible and not protected by additional hardware-based security like Dell SafeBIOS or BitLocker with TPM PIN that would require authentication before BIOS modificationAffected if Physical access alone would allow interaction with the BIOS without additional authentication barriers
You are affected if you own one of the listed Dell models and your current BIOS firmware version is below the specified 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 · scoped1.12.11.17.01.19.0
Apply the Dell BIOS/firmware update for affected systems. Since this requires physical access, ensure physical security controls are in place and prioritize updating systems in high-risk physical environments.
BIOS firmware version 1.17.0 or later for Alienware M15 R7/G15 5520; 1.19.0 or later for G15 5510; 2.19.1 or later for Inspiron 14/15 5000 series; 1.12.1 or later for Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1
- 1. Identify the exact Dell system model number (e.g., Alienware M15 R7, G15 5510, Inspiron 14 5410, etc.)
- 2. Navigate to Dell's support website at www.dell.com and enter the service tag or search for the model
- 3. Locate the BIOS/Firmware section for the specific system
- 4. Download the BIOS update version that meets or exceeds the fixed version for your model: Alienware M15 R7 requires >=1.17.0, G15 5510 requires >=1.19.0, G15 5520 requires >=1.17.0, Inspiron 14 5410/5418 requires >=2.19.1, Inspiron 15 5510/5518 requires >=2.19.1, Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 requires >=1.12.1
- 5. Review the update instructions on the download page
- 6. Run the Dell BIOS update utility (typically a .exe file) or use Dell Update Package (DUP) to flash the new BIOS
- 7. Ensure the system is connected to power during the update process
- 8. Allow the system to restart and complete the BIOS update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation10.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,104.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-32480 — 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-2023-32480 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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