Executive brief
Dell Alienware Command Center is system software for managing gaming PC performance and settings. A symlink-following flaw in versions before 6.14.20.0 allows a low-privileged local attacker to cause service outages and gain elevated system privileges with user interaction. An attacker could write to arbitrary files by exploiting how the application resolves file paths.
Technical details
The vulnerability is an improper link resolution before file access (CWE-59) in Dell Alienware Command Center versions prior to 6.14.20.0. A low-privileged local attacker with user interaction can exploit this by providing a symbolic link that the application follows without validation, leading to arbitrary file writes. This attack vector requires local access, low privilege level, high attack complexity, and user interaction (user must trigger the vulnerable code path). Successful exploitation can result in denial of service and privilege escalation. The patch is available in version 6.14.20.0 and later.
Affected products
- Dell Alienware Command Center prior to 6.14.20.0
Timeline
- 2026-08-18: disclosed