CVE-2022-34325
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 · uneditedDMA transactions which are targeted at input buffers used for the StorageSecurityCommandDxe software SMI handler could cause SMRAM corruption through a TOCTOU attack. DMA transactions which are targeted at input buffers used for the software SMI handler used by the StorageSecurityCommandDxe driver could cause SMRAM corruption. This issue was discovered by Insyde engineering based on the general description provided by
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 confidenceDMA transactions targeted at input buffers for the StorageSecurityCommandDxe software SMI handler can corrupt SMRAM (Security Mode RAM) via a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use) race condition. The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially execute code in SMRAM or corrupt secure memory contents by manipulating DMA transactions during the window between buffer validation and usage.
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>= 5.3, < 05.36.23>= 5.2, < 05.27.23>= 5.4, < 05.44.23>= 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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.
-
Identify the firmware vendor and versionUse system information tools (such as 'dmidecode' on Linux, 'msinfo32' on Windows, or check the BIOS/UEFI setup screen) to determine if the system uses Insyde Insydeh2o firmware and note the firmware version string (typically shown as something like 05.xx.xx in the BIOS version or firmware revision)Affected if The system uses Insyde Insydeh2o firmware with a version that falls within any of these ranges: >= 5.3 but < 05.36.23; >= 5.2 but < 05.27.23; >= 5.4 but < 05.44.23; or >= 5.5 but < 05.52.23
-
Verify the StorageSecurityCommandDxe module is presentInspect the UEFI firmware image or check system firmware/driver lists for the presence of the StorageSecurityCommandDxe module (this may require extracting firmware using tools like 'uefi-firmware-parser' or checking vendor firmware release notes)Affected if The StorageSecurityCommandDxe software SMI handler is present in the system firmware, as the vulnerability exists in this specific component
-
Confirm DMA is enabled for storage controllersCheck the UEFI/BIOS settings for Direct Memory Access (DMA) configuration, typically found under 'Advanced' or 'Storage' settings in the firmware setup, or by examining IOMMU settings in the operating system (on Linux, check /proc/cmdline for iommu= parameters or use 'dmesg' to see IOMMU status)Affected if DMA is enabled and accessible to untrusted devices, creating the condition for the TOCTOU race window to be exploitable through DMA transactions targeting input buffers
-
Check for IOMMU or SMM isolation features in firmwareLook in the UEFI/BIOS settings for IOMMU, DMA protection, or SMM isolation features (often labeled as 'DMA Protection', 'SMM Security', 'VT-d', or 'AMD-Vi') and determine their current stateAffected if IOMMU/SMM isolation features are disabled or unavailable in the firmware settings, meaning the DMA transactions cannot be isolated or restricted to prevent SMRAM corruption
The system is affected if it uses Insyde Insydeh2o firmware within any of the specified version ranges AND contains the StorageSecurityCommandDxe component, with DMA enabled and without IOMMU/SMM isolation protections active.
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 · scoped05.27.2305.36.2305.44.23
Apply vendor firmware updates from Insyde for affected systems. Additionally, disable DMA for untrusted devices or enable IOMMU/SMM isolation features in firmware settings where available.
Upgrade to version 05.36.23 or later (5.3 branch), 05.27.23 or later (5.2 branch), 05.44.23 or later (5.4 branch), or 05.52.23 or later (5.5 branch)
- 1. Identify the current Insydeh2o firmware version installed on the affected system by checking the UEFI BIOS setup or system information.
- 2. Determine which version branch the current firmware belongs to (5.2, 5.3, 5.4, or 5.5 series).
- 3. Obtain the appropriate firmware update from the system manufacturer's support website or Insyde directly.
- 4. Apply the firmware update using the manufacturer's recommended process (typically via BIOS update utility, USB flash, or through UEFI firmware update feature).
- 5. Verify the firmware has been successfully updated to a version meeting or exceeding the fixed release for your branch.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,160.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-34325 — 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-2022-34325 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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