CVE-2026-24510: Dell Alienware Command Center Escalation

CVE-2026-24510 Overview

Dell Alienware Command Center (AWCC), versions prior to 6.12.24.0, contain an Improper Privilege Management vulnerability (CWE-269). A low privileged attacker with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to Elevation of Privileges. This privilege escalation vulnerability allows attackers to gain elevated system access from a low-privileged user account.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit improper privilege management to elevate their access to high-integrity processes, potentially gaining full system control over affected Dell Alienware systems.

Affected Products

• Dell Alienware Command Center (AWCC) versions prior to 6.12.24.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-11 - CVE-2026-24510 published to NVD
• 2026-03-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24510

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper privilege management (CWE-269) within the Dell Alienware Command Center software. The flaw allows a local attacker who already possesses low-level access to the system to escalate their privileges. Successful exploitation results in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

The attack requires local access and some user interaction, with high attack complexity. Despite these requirements, the potential for complete system compromise makes this a significant concern for systems running vulnerable versions of AWCC. The vulnerability affects the core privilege handling mechanisms within the software, allowing unauthorized elevation beyond the attacker's intended permission level.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-24510 is improper privilege management within Dell Alienware Command Center. The software fails to properly enforce privilege boundaries, allowing low-privileged users to access or manipulate resources and operations that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. This deficiency in access control implementation enables privilege escalation attacks.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, meaning the attacker must have existing access to the target system. The exploitation scenario involves:

1. An attacker gains initial low-privileged access to a system running a vulnerable version of Dell Alienware Command Center
2. The attacker identifies and exploits the improper privilege management flaw within AWCC
3. Through this exploitation, the attacker elevates their privileges to gain unauthorized high-level access
4. With elevated privileges, the attacker can access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or further compromise the system

The vulnerability requires user interaction and has high attack complexity, indicating that successful exploitation may depend on specific conditions or require social engineering elements.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24510

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual privilege escalation events originating from Dell Alienware Command Center processes
• Unexpected high-privilege operations performed by low-privileged user accounts on systems with AWCC installed
• Anomalous process behavior or system calls from AWCC-related executables

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts associated with Dell Alienware Command Center processes
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify unauthorized privilege elevation on systems running AWCC
• Audit user account activities for privilege changes that bypass normal administrative workflows

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for privilege changes and access control events on systems with AWCC installed
• Deploy SentinelOne agents to detect and alert on suspicious privilege escalation behaviors
• Review Windows Event Logs for Security Event ID 4672 (special privileges assigned) in correlation with AWCC processes

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24510

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Dell Alienware Command Center to version 6.12.24.0 or later immediately
• Restrict local access to systems running vulnerable versions of AWCC until patching is complete
• Audit user accounts with local access to identify potential compromise

Patch Information

Dell has released a security update to address this vulnerability. Users should update Dell Alienware Command Center to version 6.12.24.0 or later. Detailed patch information and download links are available in the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2026-093.

Workarounds

• Limit local user access to systems running Dell Alienware Command Center until the patch can be applied
• Implement application allowlisting to restrict unauthorized process execution
• Apply the principle of least privilege to all user accounts on affected systems
• Consider temporarily disabling AWCC on critical systems if immediate patching is not feasible