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Xps 8960 FirmwareOperating system · Dell

CVE-2024-39584

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.16.0 / 1.18.0 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
Dell Client Platform BIOS contains a Use of Default Cryptographic Key Vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Secure Boot bypass and 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 · high confidence

Dell Client Platform BIOS uses a default cryptographic key instead of unique per-device keys. An attacker with high privileges and local access can exploit this to bypass Secure Boot and execute arbitrary code, effectively compromising the entire boot chain.

MitigationApply Dell BIOS firmware updates that replace default cryptographic keys with unique keys; verify Secure Boot remains functional after the update.

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
Xps 8960 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 2.12.0
Xps 8950 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.21.0
Inspiron 3502 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.18.0
Inspiron 15 3521 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.16.0
Inspiron 15 3510 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.21.0
Aurora R16 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 2.13.0
Alienware X17 R2 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.22.0
Alienware X17 R1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.24.0

CVSS 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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the exact Dell system model
    Run 'wmic computersystem get model' or check the physical system label
    Affected if Model must be one of: Xps 8960, Xps 8950, Inspiron 3502, Inspiron 15 3521, Inspiron 15 3510, Aurora R16, Alienware X17 R2, or Alienware X17 R1
  2. Check the installed BIOS firmware version
    Run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or enter BIOS setup (F2 during boot) and navigate to the BIOS Information screen
    Affected if Version is below the threshold: Xps 8960 < 2.12.0, Xps 8950 < 1.21.0, Inspiron 3502 < 1.18.0, Inspiron 15 3521 < 1.16.0, Inspiron 15 3510 < 1.21.0, Aurora R16 < 2.13.0, Alienware X17 R2 < 1.22.0, Alienware X17 R1 < 1.24.0
  3. Verify Secure Boot status
    Run 'bcdedit /enum firmware' and look for 'secure boot' entry, or check BIOS setup under Boot settings
    Affected if Secure Boot is enabled (the vulnerability allows bypassing it, so this configuration is required for the flaw to be exploitable)

You are affected if your Dell model matches one of the eight listed products, your BIOS version is below the specified threshold for that model, and Secure Boot is enabled on the system.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.16.0 / 1.18.0 / 1.21.0 or later
Fixed in 1.16.01.18.01.21.0
Interim mitigation

Apply Dell BIOS firmware updates that replace default cryptographic keys with unique keys; verify Secure Boot remains functional after the update.

Recommended fix High confidence

Xps 8960: 2.12.0 | Xps 8950: 1.21.0 | Inspiron 3502: 1.18.0 | Inspiron 15 3521: 1.16.0 | Inspiron 15 3510: 1.21.0 | Aurora R16: 2.13.0 | Alienware X17 R2: 1.22.0 | Alienware X17 R1: 1.24.0

  1. 1. Identify the specific Dell system model from the affected list (Xps 8960, Xps 8950, Inspiron 3502, Inspiron 15 3521, Inspiron 15 3510, Aurora R16, Alienware X17 R2, or Alienware X17 R1)
  2. 2. Visit www.dell.com and navigate to Support > Drivers & Downloads
  3. 3. Enter the system Service Tag or product model to find available BIOS updates
  4. 4. Download the BIOS update file matching the fixed version: 2.12.0 (Xps 8960), 1.21.0 (Xps 8950), 1.18.0 (Inspiron 3502), 1.16.0 (Inspiron 15 3521), 1.21.0 (Inspiron 15 3510), 2.13.0 (Aurora R16), 1.22.0 (Alienware X17 R2), or 1.24.0 (Alienware X17 R1)
  5. 5. Close all open applications and ensure the system is connected to AC power
  6. 6. Run the downloaded BIOS update executable or use Dell Update Package (DUP)
  7. 7. Follow the on-screen prompts and allow the system to reboot to complete the BIOS flash process
  8. 8. Verify the BIOS version has been updated by checking in BIOS setup (F2 on boot) or using Dell Command | Update
Caveat BIOS updates carry a small risk of system incompatibility; ensure stable power during flash and do not interrupt the process

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Xps 8960 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-39584 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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