CVE-2024-0158: Dell Alienware M15 R6 Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-0158 Overview

CVE-2024-0158 is an improper input validation vulnerability affecting Dell BIOS firmware across a wide range of Dell client systems. A local authenticated malicious user with administrative privileges may potentially exploit this vulnerability to modify a UEFI variable, leading to denial of service and escalation of privileges on affected systems.

This BIOS/UEFI vulnerability represents a significant security risk for enterprise environments running affected Dell hardware, as successful exploitation could allow attackers with local admin access to gain deeper system-level control through UEFI variable manipulation.

Critical Impact

Local authenticated attackers with admin privileges can modify UEFI variables, potentially causing system denial of service and privilege escalation at the firmware level.

Affected Products

• Dell Alienware M15/M16/M18/X14/X16 Series (R1, R2, R6, R7 variants)
• Dell Latitude 3xxx, 5xxx, 7xxx, 9xxx Series (including Rugged variants)
• Dell Inspiron 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 27 Series (laptops, desktops, and All-in-One)
• Dell OptiPlex 3xxx, 5xxx, 7xxx Series (Micro, Tower, Small Form Factor, All-in-One)
• Dell Precision 3xxx, 5xxx, 7xxx Series (Workstations - mobile and tower)
• Dell Vostro 13, 14, 15, 16, 3xxx, 5xxx, 7xxx Series
• Dell XPS 13, 15, 17 Series
• Dell G-Series Gaming Systems (G3, G5, G7, G15, G16)
• Dell Wyse Thin Clients (5070, 5470, 7040)
• Dell Edge Gateway and Embedded Box PC Systems

Discovery Timeline

• July 2, 2024 - CVE-2024-0158 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0158

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Dell BIOS firmware. The flaw exists in how the BIOS processes and validates input when handling UEFI variable operations. UEFI variables are critical firmware data structures used to store configuration settings, boot options, and other essential system parameters that persist across reboots.

When a local authenticated user with administrative privileges interacts with UEFI variable interfaces, the BIOS fails to properly validate the input data before processing. This insufficient validation allows an attacker to craft malicious input that can modify UEFI variables in unintended ways.

The attack requires local access to the system with existing administrative privileges, making this a post-compromise escalation vector rather than an initial access method. The exploitation requires no user interaction beyond the attacker's own actions, and the vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified as CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). The Dell BIOS firmware does not adequately validate input parameters when processing UEFI variable modification requests. This allows attackers to supply specially crafted input that bypasses security checks and manipulates firmware-level configuration.

UEFI variables control critical system behavior including:

• Secure Boot configuration
• Boot order and boot manager settings
• Platform configuration data
• Firmware authentication states

Without proper input validation, an attacker can potentially alter these values to compromise system security at the lowest level.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have authenticated access to the target system with administrative privileges. The exploitation flow involves:

1. Attacker gains local administrator access to a vulnerable Dell system
2. Attacker interfaces with UEFI variable management capabilities (via operating system APIs or direct firmware interfaces)
3. Attacker supplies malformed or malicious input to UEFI variable operations
4. Due to improper validation, the BIOS processes the malicious input
5. UEFI variables are modified in unauthorized ways
6. Resulting impact includes denial of service (system may fail to boot) and privilege escalation (firmware-level persistence)

The vulnerability does not enable remote exploitation but represents a serious concern for systems where an attacker has already achieved local administrative access.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0158

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected changes to UEFI Secure Boot configuration or boot order settings
• System boot failures or unexpected BIOS recovery mode activations
• Modified UEFI variables that differ from baseline configurations
• Unauthorized firmware-level persistence mechanisms detected during forensic analysis

Detection Strategies

• Implement UEFI variable monitoring to detect unauthorized modifications to critical firmware settings
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can monitor for suspicious BIOS/firmware interactions
• Establish baseline configurations for UEFI variables on managed systems and alert on deviations
• Monitor for administrative privilege usage patterns that include firmware or BIOS-related operations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable UEFI Secure Boot audit logging where available to track boot-time security events
• Implement hardware security module (HSM) or TPM-based attestation to verify firmware integrity
• Configure endpoint protection platforms to alert on attempts to access firmware management interfaces
• Regularly audit administrative account activity for unusual patterns related to system firmware

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0158

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Dell BIOS firmware to the latest patched version available for each affected system model
• Restrict local administrative access to only trusted personnel and implement least-privilege principles
• Enable Secure Boot and configure BIOS administrator passwords to limit unauthorized firmware access
• Audit systems for signs of UEFI variable tampering or unauthorized configuration changes

Patch Information

Dell has released security patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2024-030 for model-specific BIOS update versions and download links.

To update BIOS firmware:

1. Identify your specific Dell system model
2. Download the appropriate BIOS update from Dell Support
3. Follow Dell's BIOS update procedures for your system type
4. Verify the update was applied successfully via System Information

Workarounds

• Set a strong BIOS administrator password to prevent unauthorized access to firmware configuration interfaces
• Enable Secure Boot to prevent unsigned code from executing during the boot process
• Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement capabilities of compromised admin accounts
• Deploy application whitelisting to restrict execution of unauthorized tools that could interact with firmware

# Example: Verify current BIOS version on Windows systems
wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

# Example: Check Secure Boot status on Linux
mokutil --sb-state

# Example: List UEFI variables on Linux (requires root)
efivar --list