CVE-2022-29278
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 · uneditedIncorrect pointer checks within the NvmExpressDxe driver can allow tampering with SMRAM and OS memory Incorrect pointer checks within the NvmExpressDxe driver can allow tampering with SMRAM and OS memory. This issue was discovered by Insyde during security review. Fixed in: Kernel 5.1: Version 05.17.23 Kernel 5.2: Version 05.27.23 Kernel 5.3: Version 05.36.23 Kernel 5.4: Version 05.44.23 Kernel 5.5: Version 05.52.23 https://www.insyde.com/security-pledge/SA-2022061
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 confidenceThe NvmExpressDxe UEFI driver contains incorrect pointer checks that can allow an attacker to tamper with SMRAM (System Management RAM) and OS memory. This is a memory safety vulnerability in the NVMe storage driver that could allow privilege escalation or bypassing security controls by manipulating pointers used in SMM (System Management Mode) context.
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>= 5.1, < 5.1.05.17.23>= 5.2, < 5.2.05.27.23>= 5.3, < 5.3.05.36.23>= 5.4, < 5.4.05.44.23>= 5.5, < 5.5.05.52.23CVSS 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 vendorCheck if the BIOS/UEFI firmware is from Insyde by viewing system information (via 'dmidecode -s bios-vendor' or BIOS setup screen)Affected if The system uses Insyde BIOS/firmware; systems with other vendors (Phoenix, AMI, etc.) are not affected by this specific vulnerability
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Determine the Insyde Kernel versionLocate the Insyde Kernel version in the UEFI/BIOS information (often shown in BIOS setup under 'Main' or 'Information', or accessible via tools like 'dmidecode -s bios-version' or UEFI version check utilities)Affected if The version matches any of these ranges: >= 5.1 and < 5.1.05.17.23; >= 5.2 and < 5.2.05.27.23; >= 5.3 and < 5.3.05.36.23; >= 5.4 and < 5.4.05.44.23; or >= 5.5 and < 5.5.05.52.23
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Verify NvmExpressDxe driver presenceCheck UEFI driver list or firmware modules - use UEFI shell tools or firmware extraction utilities to list loaded drivers and look for 'NvmExpressDxe'Affected if The NvmExpressDxe UEFI driver is present in the system firmware (this driver is typically included in Insyde-based systems with NVMe storage support)
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Confirm SMM configuration statusCheck if System Management Mode (SMM) is enabled in the BIOS settings (usually under 'Security' or 'Advanced' settings, or use system management interface tools)Affected if SMM is enabled; the vulnerability operates in SMM context so SMM must be active for potential exploitation
A system is affected if it uses Insyde firmware with an Insyde Kernel version within any of the five vulnerable ranges and has the NvmExpressDxe driver present with SMM enabled.
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 · scoped5.1.05.17.235.2.05.27.235.3.05.36.23
Apply the appropriate Insyde kernel firmware update (version 05.17.23 for 5.1, 05.27.23 for 5.2, 05.36.23 for 5.3, 05.44.23 for 5.4, or 05.52.23 for 5.5) through the OEM/BIOS update mechanism. This is a firmware-level fix that cannot be patched through software updates alone.
Upgrade to Insyde Kernel 5.1.05.17.23 / 5.2.05.27.23 / 5.3.05.36.23 / 5.4.05.44.23 (or later), or Kernel 5.5.05.52.23
- 1. Identify the current Insyde kernel version by checking the UEFI/BIOS version information on the affected system
- 2. Contact the system OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to obtain a firmware update that includes the fixed Insyde kernel version
- 3. For Insyde Kernel 5.1: request firmware containing version 05.17.23 or later
- 4. For Insyde Kernel 5.2: request firmware containing version 05.27.23 or later
- 5. For Insyde Kernel 5.3: request firmware containing version 05.36.23 or later
- 6. For Insyde Kernel 5.4: request firmware containing version 05.44.23 or later
- 7. Apply the OEM firmware update following the vendor's documented update procedure, typically via a BIOS/UEFI flash utility or through the OEM's update mechanism
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-29278 — 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-2022-29278 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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