dbcve.org
Notebook FirmwareOperating system · Lenovo

CVE-2020-8354

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-11-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 · unedited
A potential vulnerability in the SMI callback function used in the VariableServiceSmm driver in some Lenovo Notebook models may allow arbitrary code execution.

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 · high confidence

A vulnerability exists in the SMI (System Management Interrupt) callback function within the VariableServiceSmm driver in Lenovo notebook firmware. This driver operates in SMM (System Management Mode), a highly privileged CPU mode that runs below the operating system and hypervisor. The flaw allows arbitrary code execution at the firmware level, granting the attacker execution at the highest privilege level on the system.

MitigationApply the Lenovo BIOS/firmware update for affected notebook models. Check Lenovo's support website for model-specific patches addressing CVE-2020-8354.

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
Notebook FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Lenovo notebook model
    Open a command prompt and run 'wmic computersystem get manufacturer,model' or check the physical laptop label for the model number
    Affected if System is a Lenovo notebook (any model)
  2. Check current BIOS/firmware version
    Run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or check in UEFI/BIOS setup (press F1 or F2 at startup) under the BIOS Version or Firmware Version section
    Affected if Any BIOS/firmware version is present (all versions are affected)
  3. Identify if VariableServiceSmm driver is loaded
    Use specialized firmware analysis tools (such as CHIPSEC or UEFI firmware tools) to examine the SMM drivers and check for the VariableServiceSmm driver presence in the firmware image
    Affected if The VariableServiceSmm driver exists in the system firmware

If the system is a Lenovo notebook with the VariableServiceSmm driver present in its firmware, it is affected by this vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Lenovo BIOS/firmware update for affected notebook models. Check Lenovo's support website for model-specific patches addressing CVE-2020-8354.

Fix this in Notebook Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,970
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-8354 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data