CVE-2024-38483
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 in an externally developed component. A high privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to 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 in a third-party component. A high-privileged local attacker could exploit this flaw to achieve code execution, likely with kernel or system-level privileges given the BIOS context.
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< 1.35.0< 2.32.0< 2.32.0< 1.26.0< 1.37.0= 1.37.0< 1.32.8< 1.39.0CVSS 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 system modelRun `dmidecode -s system-product-name` or check the system label/sticker for the model name (e.g., Latitude 5290 2 In 1, Precision 3420, Wyse 7040)Affected if Model matches one of the affected products listed in the CVE
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Check the installed BIOS firmware versionRun `dmidecode -s bios-version` on Linux, or `wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion` on Windows, or access the BIOS setup utility and navigate to the BIOS Information screenAffected if A version number is returned that can be compared against the affected ranges
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Confirm the model and version are in scopeCross-reference your identified model and version against the affected list: Latitude 5290 2 In 1 < 1.35.0, Precision 3420 < 2.32.0, Precision 3620 < 2.32.0, Wyse 7040 < 1.26.0, Precision 7720 < 1.37.0, Precision 7520 = 1.37.0, Precision 5530 2 In 1 < 1.32.8, Precision 5520 < 1.39.0Affected if Your exact model appears in the affected list and your installed version falls below (or equals, where specified) the threshold
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Verify local high-privileged access existsAssess whether untrusted local users currently have administrative or root privileges on the system, as the CVE states exploitation requires a high-privileged local attackerAffected if Untrusted or low-privilege users have a pathway to gain administrative access (e.g., via privilege escalation vulnerabilities)
You are affected if you are running one of the listed Dell models with a BIOS firmware version below the threshold specified for that model, and an attacker with high local privileges could potentially exploit the third-party component vulnerability.
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 · scoped1.26.01.32.81.35.0
Apply Dell BIOS/firmware updates as they become available through Dell's support channels. Until a patch is released, restrict local administrative access and monitor for suspicious BIOS modifications.
Upgrade to BIOS firmware version 1.35.0 or later for Latitude 5290 2-in-1; 2.32.0 or later for Precision 3420 Tower and 3620; 1.26.0 or later for Wyse 7040 Thin Client; 1.37.0 or later for Precision 7720 and 5520; any version other than 1.37.0 (preferably newer) for Precision 7520; 1.32.8 or later f
- 1. Identify the exact model number of your Dell system (e.g., Latitude 5290 2-in-1, Precision 3420 Tower, etc.)
- 2. Visit www.dell.com and navigate to the support/drivers section for your specific product
- 3. Enter the Service Tag or express service code of your device, or search by model number
- 4. Locate the BIOS/Firmware category in the driver downloads
- 5. Download the latest BIOS firmware version that meets or exceeds the fixed version for your model: Latitude 5290 2-in-1 requires >=1.35.0, Precision 3420 Tower >=2.32.0, Precision 3620 >=2.32.0, Wyse 7040 Thin Client >=1.26.0, Precision 7720 >=1.37.0, Precision 7520 >1.37.0 (not 1.37.0), Precision 5530 2-in-1 >=1.32.8, Precision 5520 >=1.39.0
- 6. Review the update instructions provided in the download; most Dell BIOS updates require running the executable while the system is connected to AC power
- 7. Run the BIOS update utility and allow the update process to complete - do not interrupt power or shut down the system during the flash process
- 8. After the system reboots, verify the BIOS version has been updated to the intended fixed version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-38483 — 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-2024-38483 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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