CVE-2022-24415: Dell Alienware 13 R3 Firmware RCE Flaw

CVE-2022-24415 Overview

CVE-2022-24415 is an improper input validation vulnerability in Dell BIOS firmware across a wide range of consumer, gaming, and embedded systems. A locally authenticated attacker can issue a crafted System Management Interrupt (SMI) to trigger arbitrary code execution inside System Management Mode (SMM). SMM operates at a higher privilege level than the operating system kernel (ring -2), making successful exploitation a path to firmware-level persistence and OS bypass. Dell published advisory DSA-2022-053 to track the issue, which affects Alienware desktops and laptops, Inspiron, Vostro, Latitude, XPS, Wyse thin clients, Edge Gateway, and Embedded Box PC product lines. The flaw is classified under [CWE-119] (improper restriction of operations within memory buffer bounds).

Critical Impact
A local authenticated user can escalate to SMM and execute arbitrary code below the operating system, enabling firmware implants, Secure Boot bypass, and loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the platform.

Affected Products

Dell Alienware firmware (13 R3, 15 R3/R4, 17 R4/R5, Area 51m R1/R2, Aurora R8, m15 R2/R3/R4, m17 R2/R3/R4, x15 R1, x17 R1)
Dell Inspiron, Vostro, Latitude, and XPS firmware (Inspiron 3277/3465/3477/3482/3502/3510/3565/3582/3782/14 3473/15 3573/15 5566, Latitude 3379, Vostro 3267/3268/3572/3582/3660/3667/3668/3669/14 5468/15 5568, XPS 8930)
Dell Edge Gateway 3000/5000/5100, Embedded Box PC 3000/5000, and Wyse 7040 Thin Client firmware

Discovery Timeline

2022-03-11 - CVE-2022-24415 published to NVD
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-24415

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in a System Management Mode handler within Dell BIOS. SMM is an x86 CPU operating mode entered through a System Management Interrupt and runs from System Management RAM (SMRAM), which is normally inaccessible to the operating system. SMM handlers process input passed from ring 0 software through registers and shared communication buffers. When a handler fails to validate that pointers, lengths, or buffer contents fall within expected ranges, an attacker controlling ring 0 can steer execution or memory writes inside SMRAM. In this case, the handler accepts attacker-influenced input without sufficient bounds checking, allowing arbitrary code execution at SMM privilege.

Root Cause

The defect is improper input validation classified under [CWE-119]. A Dell SMI handler trusts caller-supplied data such as pointer values or buffer sizes coming from the operating system. Without strict validation that buffers reside in non-SMRAM regions and that lengths stay within allocated bounds, the handler can be coerced into reading from or writing to attacker-chosen memory, including SMRAM itself. This breaks the SMM isolation boundary the BIOS is required to maintain.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access and an authenticated account with privileges sufficient to issue SMIs, typically administrator or kernel-level code. The attacker triggers the vulnerable SMI from the operating system, supplies crafted parameters in the SMI communication buffer, and the SMM handler processes them without proper validation. Successful exploitation yields code execution in SMM, where the attacker can disable Secure Boot enforcement, write to SPI flash, install a firmware implant, or tamper with hypervisor and kernel memory. The attack is not remotely exploitable and requires no user interaction once local privileges are obtained. No public proof-of-concept exploit or CISA KEV listing exists for this CVE. See the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2022-053 for vendor technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-24415

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected BIOS version mismatches or unsigned firmware regions discovered through tools such as CHIPSEC or vendor firmware integrity utilities.
Modifications to SPI flash, Secure Boot variables (PK, KEK, db, dbx), or BIOS write-protect registers (BIOS_CNTL, PRx) on affected Dell systems.
Anomalous kernel drivers or administrative processes invoking SMI generation primitives such as writes to I/O port 0xB2.

Detection Strategies

Inventory Dell endpoints against the DSA-2022-053 affected list and compare installed BIOS versions to the fixed versions listed by Dell.
Monitor for kernel-mode code paths or privileged user-mode processes that load custom drivers capable of triggering SMIs, particularly drivers signed by uncommon publishers.
Use platform attestation (TPM event logs, Intel Boot Guard measurements) to identify deviations in pre-OS measurements after suspected exploitation attempts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Collect BIOS version, firmware hashes, and Secure Boot state via endpoint telemetry and alert on unexpected changes between reboots.
Audit privileged process creation and driver loads on affected models, focusing on tools that interact with \\.\PhysicalMemory, MSR access, or chipset registers.
Correlate firmware update events with change-management records to detect out-of-band BIOS modifications.

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-24415

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the BIOS updates published in Dell Security Advisory DSA-2022-053 to every affected Alienware, Inspiron, Vostro, Latitude, XPS, Wyse, Edge Gateway, and Embedded Box PC model.
Restrict local administrator and kernel driver loading privileges on affected endpoints to limit who can issue SMIs.
Enable and verify Secure Boot, BIOS administrator passwords, and BIOS write protection on managed devices.

Patch Information

Dell released fixed BIOS versions for each affected platform under advisory DSA-2022-053. Administrators should download the model-specific BIOS update from Dell Support and deploy it through Dell Command | Update, SCCM, Intune, or equivalent firmware management tooling. The advisory enumerates the minimum fixed BIOS revision per platform; any earlier revision remains vulnerable.

Workarounds

No software-only workaround eliminates the vulnerability; firmware update is required for full remediation.
Reduce risk in the interim by removing local administrative rights, blocking unsigned driver installation, and enforcing application allowlisting to prevent attackers from reaching the SMI surface.
Enable hardware-based protections such as Intel Boot Guard, BIOS Guard, and OEM firmware update signing where supported by the platform.

bash

# Configuration example: query installed BIOS version on Windows to validate patch state
wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion,manufacturer,version
# On Linux
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name