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Alienware M15 R6 FirmwareOperating system · Dell

CVE-2024-52541

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.8.0 / 1.21.0 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 Weak Authentication vulnerability. A high privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of Privileges.

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 confidence

Dell Client Platform BIOS contains a weak authentication vulnerability that allows a high-privileged attacker with local access to exploit the authentication mechanism and achieve elevation of privileges. The vulnerability is in the BIOS firmware layer, enabling an authenticated user to potentially escalate privileges beyond their assigned permissions.

MitigationUpdate the Dell Client Platform BIOS to the latest version provided by Dell through their support portal or BIOS update utilities. This typically involves downloading the firmware update from Dell's support site and applying it via the BIOS update utility or Dell Update Package.

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
Alienware M15 R6 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.34.0
Alienware M15 R7 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.28.0
Alienware M16 R1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.21.0
Alienware M16 R2 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.8.0
Alienware M18 R1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.21.0
Latitude 5300 2 In 1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.33.1
Latitude 5310 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.26.1
Latitude 5310 2 In 1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.26.1

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 product model
    Check the system model by running 'msinfo32' or looking at the system label/sticker on the device. Confirm it is one of: Alienware M15 R6, M15 R7, M16 R1, M16 R2, M18 R1, Latitude 5300 2-in-1, Latitude 5310, or Latitude 5310 2-in-1.
    Affected if The product model is NOT one of the eight affected models listed in the CVE.
  2. Check the installed BIOS firmware version
    On the running system, open Command Prompt and run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or use 'msinfo32' to view the BIOS Version. Alternatively, press F2 during boot to enter BIOS setup and view the version on the main page.
    Affected if Unable to retrieve a BIOS version number from the system.
  3. Compare version against affected threshold for your model
    Match your product model to the corresponding threshold: Alienware M15 R6 (compare to 1.34.0), M15 R7 (compare to 1.28.0), M16 R1 (compare to 1.21.0), M16 R2 (compare to 1.8.0), M18 R1 (compare to 1.21.0), Latitude 5300 2-in-1 (compare to 1.33.1), Latitude 5310 (compare to 1.26.1), Latitude 5310 2-in-1 (compare to 1.26.1). Use numeric comparison treating the version as X.YY.Z format.
    Affected if The installed BIOS version is LOWER than the threshold version for your specific model (for example, version 1.20.0 is below 1.21.0, or 1.7.0 is below 1.8.0).
  4. Confirm local high-privileged access exists
    Verify that the system permits local access with high privileges (administrator or equivalent). This vulnerability requires a high-privileged attacker with local physical or console access to exploit the weak authentication mechanism in the BIOS layer.
    Affected if The system allows local high-privileged user accounts and the BIOS version is below the threshold - the attacker could exploit the weak authentication to escalate privileges.

You are affected if your Dell system matches one of the eight listed models AND the installed BIOS firmware version is lower than the specified threshold version for that model, and the system allows local high-privileged user access.

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 1.8.0 / 1.21.0 / 1.26.1 or later
Fixed in 1.8.01.21.01.26.1
Interim mitigation

Update the Dell Client Platform BIOS to the latest version provided by Dell through their support portal or BIOS update utilities. This typically involves downloading the firmware update from Dell's support site and applying it via the BIOS update utility or Dell Update Package.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

BIOS firmware updates to versions 1.34.0 (M15 R6), 1.28.0 (M15 R7), 1.21.0 (M16 R1), 1.8.0 (M16 R2), 1.21.0 (M18 R1), 1.33.1 (Latitude 5300 2-in-1), 1.26.1 (Latitude 5310 series) or later

  1. 1. Identify the exact Dell system model and current BIOS version by running 'systeminfo' or checking BIOS setup (F2 on boot)
  2. 2. Navigate to Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and enter the system Service Tag or model number
  3. 3. Locate the BIOS/firmware section and download the latest BIOS update version matching or exceeding: M15 R6: 1.34.0, M15 R7: 1.28.0, M16 R1: 1.21.0, M16 R2: 1.8.0, M18 R1: 1.21.0, Latitude 5300 2-in-1: 1.33.1, Latitude 5310: 1.26.1, Latitude 5310 2-in-1: 1.26.1
  4. 4. Run the Dell BIOS update utility (typically a .exe or .hdr file) and follow the on-screen prompts
  5. 5. Ensure the system is connected to AC power and do not interrupt the update process
  6. 6. Allow the system to reboot and complete the BIOS flash; the system may restart multiple times
  7. 7. Verify the updated BIOS version in BIOS setup (F2 on boot) matches the expected fixed version
Caveat BIOS updates carry a small risk of system corruption if interrupted; ensure stable power and do not interrupt the flashing process

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

Fix this in Alienware M15 R6 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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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-2024-52541 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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