CVE-2024-32856
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 BIOS contains an Improper Input Validation vulnerability in an externally developed component. A high privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Information disclosure.
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 Client Platform BIOS contains an improper input validation vulnerability in an externally developed component. A high privileged attacker with local access could exploit this to achieve information disclosure. The vulnerability is in the BIOS firmware itself, making it a pre-OS vulnerability.
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< 2.6.0< 1.19.0< 1.16.0< 1.14.0< 1.19.0< 2.7.0< 1.20.0< 1.22.0CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 modelCheck the system model number (e.g., XPS 8960, XPS 8950, Inspiron 3502, Inspiron 15 3521, Inspiron 15 3510, Aurora R16, Alienware X17 R2, Alienware X17 R1) via system label, BIOS setup, or commands such as `dmidecode -s system-product-name` or `wmic computersystem get model`.Affected if the model matches one of the eight affected models listed in the CVE advisory.
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Retrieve the installed BIOS firmware versionObtain the current BIOS version using system utilities: Linux - run `dmidecode -s bios-version`; Windows - run `wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion` or check via Dell SupportAssist/BIOS setup utility (press F2 at boot).Affected if the command returns a version number that can be compared against the affected ranges.
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Compare against the fixed version for your modelLocate the minimum fixed version for your specific model: XPS 8960 = 2.6.0, XPS 8950 = 1.19.0, Inspiron 3502 = 1.16.0, Inspiron 15 3521 = 1.14.0, Inspiron 15 3510 = 1.19.0, Aurora R16 = 2.7.0, Alienware X17 R2 = 1.20.0, Alienware X17 R1 = 1.22.0. Compare your installed version numerically.Affected if your installed BIOS version is lower than the fixed version for your model (e.g., XPS 8960 with BIOS 2.5.0 is affected, BIOS 2.6.0 or higher is not).
You are affected if your Dell system matches one of the eight models and your installed BIOS version is below the minimum fixed version listed 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 · scoped1.14.01.16.01.19.0
Apply Dell BIOS updates for affected client platforms when released. Restrict local physical access and limit privileged accounts to reduce attack surface until patches are available.
Upgrade to the minimum fixed firmware version for your specific model (as listed in step 3)
- 1. Identify the exact system model (e.g., XPS 8960, Inspiron 3502) and current BIOS/firmware version by running 'systeminfo' or checking the BIOS setup screen
- 2. Navigate to Dell's support website (www.dell.com/support) and enter the specific Service Tag or model number
- 3. Locate the BIOS/Firmware section and download the latest firmware version matching or exceeding the fixed version for your model (XPS 8960: 2.6.0+, XPS 8950: 1.19.0+, Inspiron 3502: 1.16.0+, Inspiron 15 3521: 1.14.0+, Inspiron 15 3510: 1.19.0+, Aurora R16: 2.7.0+, Alienware X17 R2: 1.20.0+, Alienware X17 R1: 1.22.0+)
- 4. Close all running applications and ensure the system is connected to AC power
- 5. Run the downloaded firmware update executable or use Dell Command Update to apply the BIOS update
- 6. Allow the system to complete the update and restart automatically; do not interrupt the process
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 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-2024-32856 — 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-2024-32856 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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