CVE-2018-16094
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn System Management Module (SMM) versions prior to 1.06, an internal SMM function that retrieves configuration settings is prone to a buffer overflow.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the System Management Module (SMM) in versions prior to 1.06. The overflow occurs in an internal SMM function responsible for retrieving configuration settings, allowing potential remote or local attackers to corrupt memory and potentially execute arbitrary code due to inadequate bounds checking when copying data into a fixed-size buffer.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.06CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if the system has a System Management ModuleDetermine if the target is a Lenovo server (ThinkServer, System x, or similar) that includes a System Management Module. Check the server hardware documentation or visually inspect for a dedicated management controller card or module.Affected if The system is not a Lenovo server with SMM hardware
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Access the SMM firmware versionLog into the Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC) web interface, the IMM2 web interface, or use command-line tools such as Lenovo OneCLI with the command 'onecli.exe mic update --list' or IPMI commands to retrieve the System Management Module firmware version.Affected if Unable to retrieve the SMM firmware version because the management interface is inaccessible or the system lacks an SMM
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Compare installed version against affected rangeIdentify the firmware version displayed (for example, shown as '1.00', '1.02', '1.05', or '1.06' in the management interface or command output) and compare it to the affected version range: any version prior to 1.06 is vulnerable.Affected if The SMM firmware version is 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, or any version lower than 1.06
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Confirm the configuration retrieval feature is in useThe vulnerability exists in the internal SMM function that retrieves configuration settings. This function is typically active during normal SMM operation, including when the module reads stored configuration data, loads firmware, or responds to management queries from the host system or remote management tools.Affected if The SMM is powered on and operational, meaning the vulnerable configuration retrieval code path is active
The environment is affected if the Lenovo System Management Module firmware version is lower than 1.06.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data1.06
Upgrade the System Management Module to version 1.06 or later to address the buffer overflow vulnerability in the configuration retrieval function.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-16094 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-16094 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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