CVE-2022-32492
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 · uneditedDell BIOS contains an improper input validation vulnerability. A local authenticated malicious user may potentially exploit this vulnerability by using an SMI to gain arbitrary code execution in SMRAM.
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 confidenceDell BIOS has an improper input validation vulnerability allowing a local authenticated user to manipulate System Management Interrupts (SMI) to achieve arbitrary code execution in SMRAM (System Management RAM). Code execution in SMRAM runs in System Management Mode (SMM), which operates at the highest privilege level on x86 systems, effectively giving the attacker complete hardware and OS-level control.
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< 2.21.0< 2.25.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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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Check installed Dell BIOS versionFrom Windows: run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' in command prompt. From Linux: run 'sudo dmidecode -s bios-version'. Or boot into BIOS setup and check the version shown on the main screen.Affected if The displayed version number is less than 2.21.0 or less than 2.25.0 (Dell uses different minimum fixed versions for different product lines; either threshold may apply to your system)
Your system is affected if the installed Dell BIOS firmware version is below 2.21.0 or below 2.25.0, depending on your specific Dell product model.
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 · scoped2.21.02.25.0
Apply the Dell BIOS/firmware update provided by Dell for affected systems. This is a firmware-level fix that cannot be remediated through software patches or configuration changes.
BIOS version 2.21.0 or later (for models in that version range); BIOS version 2.25.0 or later (for models in that version range)
- Identify the specific Dell system model number from the system information or service tag
- Navigate to Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and enter the service tag or model number to find the available BIOS updates
- Locate the BIOS update that addresses CVE-2022-32492 - look for version 2.21.0 or later (or 2.25.0 or later depending on the specific model)
- Download the BIOS update file from Dell's official support page
- Review the BIOS update release notes to understand any specific update requirements or warnings
- Follow Dell's recommended BIOS update procedure - typically this involves running the downloaded executable while the system is connected to AC power, or using the Dell Update utility
- Restart the system after the BIOS update completes to ensure the new firmware is properly applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-32492 — 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-2022-32492 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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