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Insydeh2oApplication · Insyde

CVE-2022-32475

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.2.05.27.27 / 5.3.05.36.27 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
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
An issue was discovered in Insyde InsydeH2O with kernel 5.0 through 5.5. DMA attacks on the VariableRuntimeDxe shared buffer used by SMM and non-SMM code could cause TOCTOU race-condition issues that could lead to corruption of SMRAM and escalation of privileges. This issue was fixed in the kernel, which also protected chipset and OEM chipset code.

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

InsydeH2O kernel 5.0-5.5 contains a TOCTOU race condition in VariableRuntimeDxe where DMA attacks on a shared buffer between SMM and non-SMM code can corrupt SMRAM and escalate privileges to SMM level.

MitigationApply Insyde's kernel firmware update (5.0-5.5 patch) and ensure OEM chipset firmware updates are also applied. Verify SMRAM integrity post-update.

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
Insydeh2oApplication
Affected:>= 5.0, < 5.2.05.27.27>= 5.3, < 5.3.05.36.27>= 5.4, < 5.4.05.44.27>= 5.5, < 5.5.05.52.27

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/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. Identify InsydeH2O firmware version
    Run 'dmidecode -s bios-version' or check UEFI/BIOS setup screen for the firmware version string (typically displayed as something like 5.x.x.xx)
    Affected if The version falls within these ranges: >=5.0 and <5.2.05.27.27, OR >=5.3 and <5.3.05.36.27, OR >=5.4 and <5.4.05.44.27, OR >=5.5 and <5.5.05.52.27
  2. Confirm VariableRuntimeDxe driver presence
    Extract and inspect the UEFI firmware image (using tools like uefi-firmware-parser or binwalk on a firmware dump) for the VariableRuntimeDxe driver; check if it is included in the firmware build
    Affected if The VariableRuntimeDxe driver is present in the firmware and the version falls in the affected ranges above
  3. Check for DMA protection controls
    Inspect chipset/OEM firmware settings accessible via UEFI setup or via 'intel_txt_setup' or similar OEM tools for DMA-related protections (such as IOMMU/SMM protection settings)
    Affected if DMA attacks are possible because IOMMU or SMRAM protection is not enabled or configured, and the firmware version is in the affected ranges
  4. Inspect SMRAM configuration
    Use 'cdi' or 'Chipsec' framework to check SMRAM lock status and configuration; look for 'SMRAM' or 'DMA' related ACPI tables or chipset registers via 'readmsr' or similar low-level tools
    Affected if SMRAM is not properly locked or protected against DMA access, and firmware version is in the affected ranges

You are affected if your InsydeH2O firmware version is >=5.0 but below the patched versions (5.2.05.27.27, 5.3.05.36.27, 5.4.05.44.27, or 5.5.05.52.27) and the VariableRuntimeDxe driver is present with unprotected DMA access to shared buffers.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.2.05.27.27 / 5.3.05.36.27 / 5.4.05.44.27 or later
Fixed in 5.2.05.27.275.3.05.36.275.4.05.44.27
Interim mitigation

Apply Insyde's kernel firmware update (5.0-5.5 patch) and ensure OEM chipset firmware updates are also applied. Verify SMRAM integrity post-update.

Recommended fix High confidence

InsydeH2O kernel version 5.2.05.27.27, 5.3.05.36.27, 5.4.05.44.27, or 5.5.05.52.27 (depending on which branch is in use)

  1. 1. Identify the current InsydeH2O kernel version installed on the affected system (typically available in UEFI/BIOS setup or via system information tools
  2. 2. Determine which version branch (5.0, 5.3, 5.4, or 5.5) the current firmware is based on
  3. 3. Download the corresponding fixed firmware version from Insyde's official support website: 5.2.05.27.27 for 5.0-5.2 branch, 5.3.05.36.27 for 5.3 branch, 5.4.05.44.27 for 5.4 branch, or 5.5.05.52.27 for 5.5 branch
  4. 4. Apply the firmware update through the vendor's recommended process (typically via UEFI flash utility or through vendor management tools)
  5. 5. Verify the update was successful by confirming the new kernel version after reboot
Caveat UEFI firmware updates carry inherent risks; ensure backups are performed and power is maintained during update; some OEM-specific implementations may have additional requirements

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Insydeh2o Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation5.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,340
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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-2022-32475 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