CVE-2022-33986

DMA attacks on the parameter buffer used by the VariableRuntimeDxe software SMI handler could lead to a TOCTOU attack. DMA attacks on the parameter buffer used by the software SMI handler used by the driver VariableRuntimeDxe could lead to a TOCTOU attack on the SMI handler and lead to corruption of SMRAM. This issue was discovered by Insyde engineering during a security review. This issue is fixed in Kernel 5.4: 05.44.23 and Kernel 5.5: 05.52.23. CWE-367 CWE-367 Report at: https://www.insyde.com/security-pledge/SA-2022056

Published: 2022-11-15 Last update: 2025-04-30 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2022-33986 is rated Low Risk (26.8/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.13%). Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2022-33986

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.04% 0.13% +0.09%
2 2026-03-23 0.09% 0.04% -0.05%
3 2025-11-21 — 0.09% —

Full EPSS history (7 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2022-33986

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.4 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 0.5 5.9 [email protected]
6.4 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 0.5 5.9 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2022-33986

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2022-33986

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
insyde kernel >= 5.4, < 5.4.05.44.23 cpe:2.3:a:insyde:kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
insyde kernel >= 5.5, < 5.5.05.52.23 cpe:2.3:a:insyde:kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2022-33986

cvelogic Threat Intelligence