CVE-2024-0160
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 Client Platform contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability. An attacker with physical access to the system could potentially exploit this vulnerability by bypassing BIOS authorization to modify settings in the BIOS.
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 an incorrect authorization vulnerability in Dell client platform BIOS that allows an attacker with physical access to bypass BIOS authentication controls and modify BIOS settings. The vulnerability stems from inadequate authorization checks that can be circumvented through physical access to the system.
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< 1.30.0< 1.31.0< 1.28.0< 1.30.0< 1.31.0< 1.36.0< 1.29.0< 1.36.0CVSS 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
- 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.
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Identify your Dell system modelRun 'wmic computersystem get model' from Windows command prompt, or check the system label/sticker on the deviceAffected if The model matches one of: XPS 17 9700, XPS 15 9500, Vostro 7500, Precision 5750, Precision 5550, Latitude 3520, Latitude 3510, or Latitude 3420
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Check the installed BIOS firmware versionFrom Windows, run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or open 'msinfo32' and look for BIOS Version. From Linux, run 'dmidecode -s bios-version'. Or reboot and press F2 to enter BIOS setup and view the versionAffected if Unable to determine the BIOS version or the version falls below the safe threshold for your model
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Compare your BIOS version against affected rangesMatch your model and version: XPS 17 9700 must be >=1.30.0, XPS 15 9500 >=1.31.0, Vostro 7500 >=1.28.0, Precision 5750 >=1.30.0, Precision 5550 >=1.31.0, Latitude 3520 >=1.36.0, Latitude 3510 >=1.29.0, Latitude 3420 >=1.36.0Affected if Your current BIOS version is LOWER than the minimum version listed for your specific model
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Assess physical access exposureDetermine whether the system is in a location where unauthorized individuals could gain physical access (shared office, public space, unattended laptop, etc.)Affected if The system can be accessed physically by untrusted individuals and the BIOS version is below the fixed version
You are affected if your Dell system model is one of the eight listed and your current BIOS firmware version is lower than the minimum version specified for that model, especially if the system has any physical exposure to untrusted individuals.
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 · scoped1.28.01.29.01.30.0
Mitigation involves restricting physical access to vulnerable systems and applying Dell-provided BIOS firmware updates to address the authorization bypass when released. Organizations should inventory affected Dell client systems and monitor for vendor patch releases.
XPS 17 9700: >= 1.30.0 | XPS 15 9500: >= 1.31.0 | Vostro 7500: >= 1.28.0 | Precision 5750: >= 1.30.0 | Precision 5550: >= 1.31.0 | Latitude 3520: >= 1.36.0 | Latitude 3510: >= 1.29.0 | Latitude 3420: >= 1.36.0
- 1. Identify the exact Dell system model (e.g., XPS 17 9700, Latitude 3520, etc.)
- 2. Navigate to Dell support website (www.dell.com) and enter the service tag or search for the product model
- 3. Locate the BIOS/Firmware updates section
- 4. Download and install the BIOS firmware update that meets or exceeds the fixed version for your specific model
- 5. Follow on-screen instructions to complete the firmware update, ensuring the system remains powered on throughout the process
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 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-2024-0160 — 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-2024-0160 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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