Is CVE-2022-40250 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2022-40250 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2022-40250 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2022-40250 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-40250?

CVE-2022-40250 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2022-40250

HIGH

CVE-2022-40250

CWE-121Published: September 20, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to elevate privileges from ring 0 to ring -2, execute arbitrary code in System Management Mode - an environment more privileged than operating system (OS) and completely isolated from it. Running arbitrary code in SMM additionally bypasses SMM-based SPI flash protections against modifications, which can help an attacker to install a firmware backdoor/implant into BIOS. Such a malicious firmware code in BIOS could persist across operating system re-installs. Additionally, this vulnerability potentially could be used by malicious actors to bypass security mechanisms provided by UEFI firmware (for example, Secure Boot and some types of memory isolation for hypervisors). This issue affects: Module name: SmmSmbiosElog SHA256: 3a8acb4f9bddccb19ec3b22b22ad97963711550f76b27b606461cd5073a93b59 Module GUID: 8e61fd6b-7a8b-404f-b83f-aa90a47cabdf This issue affects: AMI Aptio 5.x. This issue affects: AMI Aptio 5.x.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2022-40250 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.