CVE-2024-29214
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 · uneditedImproper input validation in UEFI firmware CseVariableStorageSmm for some Intel(R) Processors may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
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 confidenceImproper input validation in the UEFI firmware component CseVariableStorageSmm (CSE Variable Storage SMM driver) in certain Intel processors allows a privileged local user to escalate privileges. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of inputs within the firmware's security management module, potentially allowing manipulation of security boundaries.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/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 your Intel processor modelRun 'wmic cpu get name' or check system information (msinfo32) to determine the CPU modelAffected if The processor is from an Intel generation that includes CSE (Converged Security and Manageability Engine) - typically 6th Gen Intel Core and newer
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Check the system firmware versionRun 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or check the BIOS/UEFI version displayed during system boot or in the BIOS setup utilityAffected if The firmware version is older than the version containing Intel's fix for CVE-2024-29214 (compare against Intel's advisory for your specific processor model)
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Verify CSE Management Engine is presentCheck system information or use Intel's Intel Management Engine Interface (MEI) tool - run 'wmic /namespace:\\root\cimv2\Security\MicrosoftTPM path Win32_PnPSignedDriver' to find MEI driversAffected if The Intel Management Engine (ME) or Converged Security Engine (CSE) firmware is present and running on the system
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Confirm SMM configuration is activeCheck UEFI/BIOS settings for 'Intel Software Guard Extensions' or 'SMM Security' settings; on Windows, verify SMM communication via 'bcdedit /enum firmware' output showing SMM features enabledAffected if System Management Mode (SMM) is enabled in the firmware configuration
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Check for the vulnerable CSE Variable Storage driverInspect the UEFI firmware image (if accessible via firmware update tools) or review system logs for references to 'CseVariableStorageSmm' driver during bootAffected if The CseVariableStorageSmm driver is present in the UEFI firmware and the firmware version is unpatched
A system is affected if it uses an Intel processor with CSE firmware where the CseVariableStorageSmm driver is present and the installed firmware version predates Intel's patch for this vulnerability.
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 Intel-provided firmware updates for affected processors. Organizations should identify affected Intel CPU models, obtain corresponding firmware patches from Intel's support channels, and update system firmware following vendor procedures.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-29214 — 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-2024-29214 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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- 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
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