Is CVE-2016-8222 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2016-8222 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2016-8222 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2016-8222 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-8222?

CVE-2016-8222 has a CVSS score of 4.4 (MEDIUM).

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MEDIUM

CVE-2016-8222

CWE-284Published: November 30, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

4.4

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A vulnerability has been identified in a signed kernel driver for the BIOS of some ThinkPad systems that can allow an attacker with Windows administrator-level privileges to call System Management Mode (SMM) services. This could lead to a denial of service attack or allow certain BIOS variables or settings to be altered (such as boot sequence). The setting or changing of BIOS passwords is not affected by this vulnerability.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-8222 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 4.4.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorLocal

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.High

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Lenovo148 product(s)

thinkpad 10 ella 2 biosthinkpad 11e beema biosthinkpad 11e braswell biosthinkpad 11e broadwell biosthinkpad 11e skylake biosthinkpad 13e biosthinkpad e450 biosthinkpad e450c biosthinkpad e455 biosthinkpad e460 biosthinkpad e465 biosthinkpad e550 bios+136

Source: NVD CPE · 148 total CPE entries