CVE-2024-52541 in Client Platform BIOS
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2025
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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-52541 resides within the Dell Client Platform BIOS, representing a critical weakness in the system's authentication mechanisms that could be exploited by adversaries with local administrative access. This flaw falls under the broader category of weak authentication vulnerabilities that have been consistently flagged by security frameworks including CWE-305, which specifically addresses authentication mechanisms that are insufficient to prevent unauthorized access. The BIOS represents a critical system component that operates at the lowest level of the computing stack, making any authentication weaknesses particularly dangerous as they can provide attackers with foundational access to system resources and functions that are typically protected by more robust security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication checks within the BIOS firmware that governs system initialization and low-level hardware operations. When an attacker possesses high privileged local access, they can potentially bypass the existing authentication mechanisms to gain elevated privileges within the system's firmware environment. This weakness in the BIOS authentication process creates an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate system parameters, modify firmware settings, or potentially install unauthorized code that operates below the operating system level. The exploitation of this vulnerability directly impacts the system's integrity and trust model, as the BIOS serves as the foundation upon which all other system security measures are built.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-52541 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise at the firmware level, which can persist across operating system reboots and even hardware replacements. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the use of local system privileges to gain elevated access, and T1542.003, which covers the use of boot or logon initiation scripts to gain persistence. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness could potentially establish persistent backdoors within the firmware itself, making detection and remediation significantly more challenging. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate system boot processes, modify secure boot configurations, or alter system settings that are normally protected from unauthorized changes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize applying the latest BIOS updates from Dell that address this specific authentication weakness, as these patches typically include strengthened authentication mechanisms and improved access controls within the firmware environment. The implementation of hardware-based security features such as Intel TXT or AMD SEV can provide additional protection layers that make firmware-level attacks more difficult to execute successfully. Security monitoring should include firmware integrity checks using tools like BIOSGuard or similar solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications to the system's firmware components. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege controls at the system level and maintaining detailed audit logs of BIOS access and modifications can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing firmware security assessments as part of their regular security testing procedures to identify similar weaknesses in other system components and maintain comprehensive visibility into their firmware security posture.