This guide is for owners of a Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 6, L13 2-in-1, L14 Gen 6 or L16 Gen 2, for example a small business owner, a teacher or an office team with a few of these laptops. You will learn how to confirm your exact model, read the BIOS version installed today, find Lenovo's update and apply it without risking your files. Ten minutes of checking is enough, and nothing needs to be opened.
Does my ThinkPad need a BIOS update for the Secure Boot flaw?
Short answer: If you own a ThinkPad L13 Gen 6 (including the 2-in-1), L14 Gen 6 or L16 Gen 2, yes, check for it. Lenovo's security notice for CVE-2026-0421 says Secure Boot could be turned off while the screen still shows it as On, and the remedy is a BIOS update. It is a routine update. Other models are not named in that notice.
What is this notice, in plain words?
BIOS (the small program that starts the laptop before Windows loads) controls Secure Boot (a start-up check that lets only trusted software load). CVE-2026-0421 is the public reference number for a BIOS flaw on these ThinkPads. The CVE was published on 14 January 2026. The flaw is that Secure Boot could be disabled while the setting still shows On. Lenovo's remedy is a newer BIOS, and its notice is on the Lenovo product security page for this item.
This is how manufacturers handle security notices all the time. Nothing here means you should stop using the laptop. Updating is the sensible step.
Step 1: Confirm your exact model
Turn the laptop over and read the label, or go to Settings, System, About and read the Device name and model. You need the full name, for example L14 Gen 6, because Lenovo publishes a different BIOS for every model and generation. The wording can differ slightly between versions.
Step 2: Read the BIOS version you have now
- Press the Windows key and R together, type msinfo32 and press Enter.
- On the System Summary page, find BIOS Version/Date.
- Write down the whole line. It often starts with a Lenovo code and shows a date.
If you cannot find it, the BIOS screen itself shows the version. Our guide to entering BIOS on any laptop shows the keys.
Step 3: Find the right update
Go to Lenovo's support site, search for your model, then open Drivers and Software and choose BIOS. Compare the newest version there with the line you wrote down. Lenovo Vantage and Lenovo System Update, two Lenovo programs on many ThinkPads, may also offer the BIOS update. We do not quote a version number here because Lenovo publishes it on the support page for each model and it changes; use the one Lenovo shows. Download BIOS files only from Lenovo's own support site, never from links in messages or videos.
Step 4: Protect your files, then update
- Find your BitLocker recovery key first. See BitLocker drive recovery in India if you have never looked for it.
- Connect the charger and close all programs.
- Run the Lenovo BIOS installer and follow its prompts. The laptop will restart and may show a progress screen for several minutes.
- Do not switch the laptop off or remove the charger while the update is running.
Our guide to updating a laptop BIOS safely covers the same steps for any brand. After the restart, run msinfo32 again and confirm the version changed.
Power cuts and BIOS updates in offices and shops
Office buildings and homes here still see short power cuts and voltage dips, and a BIOS update is the one job you do not want interrupted. Use a UPS (a small battery backup) with a desktop, and for a laptop make sure the battery is charged as well as the charger connected. If you manage several ThinkPads for a shop or a clinic, update one first, confirm it restarts normally, and then do the others. Courier distance can add days if something goes wrong, so do this on a working day with time in hand.
When to get help
- The BIOS update was interrupted by a power cut or a restart.
- The laptop shows a black screen or restarts again and again afterwards.
- A BitLocker recovery screen appears and you do not have the key.
- You cannot tell which BIOS file matches your model.
Our Lenovo laptop repair page covers ThinkPads, and our technicians can look at a failed update. In Hyderabad we visit through the doorstep service for ₹149 doorstep visit fee, waived when you approve laptop repair with us, and we accept laptops by courier from anywhere in India.
A note from the LRW Engineer Team
Treat a BIOS update like a short flight: nothing complicated, but you do not get off halfway. Choose a quiet moment, keep the laptop on its charger, and do one machine at a time. If you are unsure which file is right for your model, ask first. A wrong BIOS file is far harder to undo than a day's delay.