CVE-2022-35897
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 · uneditedAn stack buffer overflow vulnerability leads to arbitrary code execution issue was discovered in Insyde InsydeH2O with kernel 5.0 through 5.5. If the attacker modifies specific UEFI variables, it can cause a stack overflow, leading to arbitrary code execution. The specific variables are normally locked (read-only) at the OS level and therefore an attack would require direct SPI modification. If an attacker can change the values of at least two variables out of three (SecureBootEnforce, SecureBoot, RestoreBootSettings), it is possible to execute arbitrary 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 · moderate confidenceStack buffer overflow vulnerability in Insyde InsydeH2O UEFI firmware (kernel versions 5.0 through 5.5) allows arbitrary code execution when specific UEFI variables (SecureBootEnforce, SecureBoot, RestoreBootSettings) are modified. Since these variables are normally locked/read-only at the OS level, exploitation requires direct SPI flash modification, implying physical access to the hardware.
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>= 5.0, <= 5.5CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the UEFI firmware vendorUse system information tools (e.g., dmidecode -s bios-vendor, inxi -M, or Windows System Information) to determine if the system uses InsydeH2O UEFI firmwareAffected if The system does not use InsydeH2O firmware - the vulnerability only applies to InsydeH2O implementations
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Determine the Insyde kernel versionUse UEFI firmware version identification tools (e.g., uefi-firmware-parser, innoextract, or check the BIOS/UEFI version string from dmidecode -s bios-version). The Insyde kernel version is distinct from the OS kernel - it is the version of the InsydeH2O UEFI firmware itself, typically visible in the BIOS/UEFI setup utility or via firmware extraction toolsAffected if The firmware version is between Insyde Kernel 5.0 and 5.5 inclusive (e.g., versions like 5.0.x, 5.1.x, 5.2.x, 5.3.x, 5.4.x, 5.5.x)
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Check accessibility of vulnerable UEFI variablesAttempt to read or modify the UEFI variables SecureBootEnforce, SecureBoot, and RestoreBootSettings using tools such as efi-readvar/efi-writevar (Linux), uefivars (Windows), or flashrom with proper privileges. Note: These variables are typically locked/read-only under normal OS operationAffected if The variables are readable or modifiable from the operating system level (indicating they are not properly locked, or the system has been compromised at the firmware level)
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Verify SPI flash protection statusInspect the SPI flash protection bits via hardware tools (e.g., flashrom --verbose, Chipsec) or check if the platform has write protection enabled in the UEFI setup. Physical access to the hardware is required to modify SPI flash directlyAffected if SPI flash is not write-protected and the attacker could potentially modify the firmware directly
A system is affected if it runs InsydeH2O UEFI firmware with kernel version 5.0 through 5.5 and the vulnerable UEFI variables (SecureBootEnforce, SecureBoot, RestoreBootSettings) are accessible or can be modified via SPI flash access.
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.
From vendor dataApply vendor-provided UEFI firmware updates addressing this vulnerability. Until patched, ensure physical security of systems to prevent unauthorized SPI modification.
- 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-2022-35897 — 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-2022-35897 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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