Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2022-40250 is a firmware vulnerability in AMI Aptio 5.x. A local attacker with some privileges could move execution into System Management Mode, a firmware layer beneath the operating system. Successful abuse could support persistent firmware compromise and bypass protections such as Secure Boot. No active exploitation is cited in the supplied sources.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority firmware risk for affected AMI Aptio 5.x platforms, especially critical servers and admin workstations. Business urgency depends on hardware exposure and firmware update availability, not broad internet scanning risk.
Technical view
The issue is a stack overflow in the SmmSmbiosElog SMI handler, tracked as CWE-121. The CVE describes privilege escalation from ring 0 to ring -2 with arbitrary code execution in SMM. Scope is AMI Aptio 5.x, with module GUID 8e61fd6b-7a8b-404f-b83f-aa90a47cabdf and the listed SHA256 module hash.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on systems using AMI Aptio 5.x UEFI firmware containing the affected SmmSmbiosElog module. The supplied bundle does not identify specific OEM models, so organizations must map servers, laptops, and appliances through OEM firmware advisories or firmware inventory.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, low privilege, no user interaction, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. KEV is false, and the supplied sources do not establish in-the-wild exploitation. Impact is serious because SMM execution can survive OS reinstall through firmware persistence.
Researcher notes
Evidence identifies a vulnerable SMI handler and module indicators, but the supplied bundle does not provide specific OEM platform lists, exploit maturity, or exact patch versions. Validation should focus on firmware provenance, module matching, and vendor advisory correlation.
Mitigation direction
- Check AMI, Intel, and OEM firmware guidance for affected platforms.
- Apply vendor-provided BIOS or UEFI firmware updates when available.
- Prioritize systems handling sensitive workloads or virtualization boundaries.
- Restrict local administrative access until firmware status is confirmed.
- Monitor vendor advisories for model-specific remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints and servers for AMI Aptio 5.x firmware.
- Compare firmware packages against OEM advisories for CVE-2022-40250.
- Where feasible, inspect firmware for the cited SmmSmbiosElog GUID or hash.
- Confirm BIOS or UEFI versions after vendor updates are applied.
- Review EDR and firmware telemetry for suspicious privileged local activity.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-121: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2022-40250 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H26Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00712.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.ami.com/security-center/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.binarly.io/advisories/BRLY-2022-016CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Stack-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.