CVE-2022-34460
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 · uneditedPrior Dell BIOS versions contain 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 · high confidenceThis is a Dell BIOS vulnerability involving improper input validation that allows a local authenticated user to exploit via System Management Interrupt (SMI) to achieve arbitrary code execution in SMRAM (System Management RAM). This enables the attacker to run code in the highly privileged System Management Mode outside the normal operating system.
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< 1.12.1< 2.17.0< 1.5.0< 1.5.0< 1.5.0< 1.9.1< 1.9.1< 1.8.0CVSS 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
- 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.
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Identify the Dell system modelRun 'dmidecode -s system-product-name' or check the system label/documentation to confirm the exact model numberAffected if The model is not one of: G5 Se 5505, Inspiron 27 7775, Inspiron 3180, Inspiron 3185, Inspiron 3195 2 In 1, Inspiron 3275, Inspiron 3475, or Inspiron 3505 (not affected)
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Check the installed BIOS firmware versionRun 'dmidecode -s bios-version' or access the BIOS setup screen (press F2 at boot) to view the BIOS versionAffected if The exact version cannot be determined or the command is not available on the system
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Compare BIOS version against vulnerability thresholdsFor Dell G5 Se 5505: version must be >= 1.12.1. For Inspiron 27 7775: >= 2.17.0. For Inspiron 3180/3185/3195 2 In 1: >= 1.5.0. For Inspiron 3275/3475: >= 1.9.1. For Inspiron 3505: >= 1.8.0Affected if The installed version is lower than the required minimum version for your specific model
You are affected if your Dell system matches one of the listed models AND your current BIOS firmware version is below the minimum version specified for that 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 · scoped1.5.01.8.01.9.1
Update Dell BIOS to the latest version provided by Dell. This is a firmware-level vulnerability that requires applying the vendor-supplied BIOS update to remediate.
BIOS firmware >= 1.12.1 (G5 Se 5505), >= 2.17.0 (Inspiron 27 7775), >= 1.5.0 (Inspiron 3180/3185/3195), >= 1.9.1 (Inspiron 3275/3475), >= 1.8.0 (Inspiron 3505) - download from Dell support site
- 1. Identify the exact Dell system model (e.g., Inspiron 3180, G5 Se 5505, etc.) by checking the system label or BIOS information
- 2. Visit Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and navigate to the Drivers & Downloads section for your specific model
- 3. Locate the BIOS category and download the latest BIOS update version that meets or exceeds the fixed version for your model: G5 Se 5505 requires >=1.12.1, Inspiron 27 7775 requires >=2.17.0, Inspiron 3180/3185/3195 requires >=1.5.0, Inspiron 3275/3475 requires >=1.9.1, Inspiron 3505 requires >=1.8.0
- 4. Review the BIOS update instructions provided by Dell on the download page
- 5. Run the BIOS update utility (typically a .exe file) as administrator, or create a USB bootable update following Dell's instructions
- 6. Ensure the system is connected to power and do not interrupt the update process until completion
- 7. Allow the system to restart and verify the BIOS version has been updated in the BIOS setup (press F2 or F12 during boot)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-34460 — 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-2022-34460 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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