CVE-2022-29276
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 · uneditedSMI functions in AhciBusDxe use untrusted inputs leading to corruption of SMRAM. SMI functions in AhciBusDxe use untrusted inputs leading to corruption of SMRAM. This issue was discovered by Insyde during security review. It was fixed in: Kernel 5.0: version 05.09.18 Kernel 5.1: version 05.17.18 Kernel 5.2: version 05.27.18 Kernel 5.3: version 05.36.18 Kernel 5.4: version 05.44.18 Kernel 5.5: version 05.52.18 https://www.insyde.com/security-pledge/SA-2022059
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 confidenceSMI (System Management Interrupt) handlers in the AhciBusDxe UEFI driver fail to validate untrusted inputs, allowing corruption of SMRAM (System Management RAM). This is a critical UEFI firmware vulnerability where the AHCI bus driver's SMI functions do not properly sanitize data before use in the protected SMM (System Management Mode) memory region, potentially enabling privilege escalation to SMM code execution.
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>= 5.0, < 5.0.05.09.18>= 5.1, < 5.1.05.17.18>= 5.2, < 5.2.05.27.18>= 5.3, < 5.3.05.36.18>= 5.4, < 5.4.05.44.18>= 5.5, < 5.5.05.52.18CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 the system firmware providerCheck the UEFI/BIOS firmware version information displayed in the system setup (BIOS) or via tools like dmidecode,UEFI firmware tool (firmware_tools), or the vendor's firmware version reporting utility. Look for 'Insyde' or 'InsydeH2O' as the firmware provider.Affected if The firmware is from Insyde (InsydeH2O) - only Insyde-based systems are affected.
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Determine the Insyde Kernel versionLocate the UEFI firmware version string in the BIOS setup under 'Main' or 'Information' tab, or retrieve via platform debugging tools. The version typically follows the format X.Y.XX.XX.XX (e.g., 5.0.05.09.18). Compare this against the affected version ranges provided.Affected if The installed Insyde Kernel version falls within any of these ranges: >=5.0 and <5.0.05.09.18; >=5.1 and <5.1.05.17.18; >=5.2 and <5.2.05.27.18; >=5.3 and <5.3.05.36.18; >=5.4 and <5.4.05.44.18; or >=5.5 and <5.5.05.52.18.
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Verify the AhciBusDxe driver presenceExtract and inspect the UEFI firmware image using tools such as UEFI Extract, ChipSec, or the vendor's firmware update utility. Look for the AhciBusDxe driver (typically named AhciBusDxe.efi or AhciBusDxe) within the firmware volume.Affected if The AhciBusDxe driver is present in the firmware - this is the vulnerable component. If present and the Insyde Kernel version is in the affected range, the system is vulnerable.
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Confirm SMM is enabledCheck system configuration in BIOS setup for 'System Management Mode' or 'SMM' settings, or query via CPUID instruction or OS-level tools that report CPU configuration. The vulnerability exploits SMI handlers, which require SMM to be operational.Affected if System Management Mode (SMM) is enabled and the Insyde Kernel version is in the affected range - the exploitation path is viable.
A system is affected if it uses InsydeH2O UEFI firmware with an Insyde Kernel version within any of the vulnerable ranges AND contains the AhciBusDxe driver, regardless of SMM configuration since SMI handlers operate in their own context.
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.
dbcve · scoped5.0.05.09.185.1.05.17.185.2.05.27.18
Apply the appropriate Insyde kernel firmware update (version 05.09.18 for Kernel 5.0, 05.17.18 for 5.1, 05.27.18 for 5.2, 05.36.18 for 5.3, 05.44.18 for 5.4, or 05.52.18 for 5.5) from the system manufacturer to address the vulnerable AhciBusDxe driver.
Upgrade to Kernel 5.0:05.09.18, 5.1:05.17.18, 5.2:05.27.18, 5.3:05.36.18, or preferably latest (5.4:05.44.18 or 5.5:05.52.18)
- Identify the current Insyde Kernel version running on the affected system
- Based on the current kernel version, upgrade to the corresponding fixed version: 5.0 to 05.09.18, 5.1 to 05.17.18, 5.2 to 05.27.18, or 5.3 to 05.36.18 or later
- Obtain the firmware update from Insyde or the device OEM, following their specific update procedures
- Apply the firmware update using the OEM-recommended method (e.g., flashing via UEFI update utility, BMC, or physical programming)
- Verify the update was applied successfully and the system boots without errors
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-29276 — 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-2022-29276 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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