CVE-2022-32473

Privilege escalation via HddPassword DMA race

Published Feb 15, 2023 · Updated Mar 20, 2025

A TOCTOU race in the HddPassword buffer in Insyde InsydeH2O kernels 5.0 through 5.5 allows local users to escalate privileges via DMA. SMM and non-SMM code share the buffer, allowing DMA to alter its contents between validation and use and corrupt SMRAM. Exploitation requires local high-privileged access and DMA capability; successful races cross the operating-system-to-SMM trust boundary.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A TOCTOU race in the HddPassword buffer in Insyde InsydeH2O kernels 5.0 through 5.5 allows local users to escalate privileges via DMA. SMM and non-SMM code share the buffer, allowing DMA to alter its contents between validation and use and corrupt SMRAM. Exploitation requires local high-privileged access and DMA capability; successful races cross the operating-system-to-SMM trust boundary.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-32473
Published
Feb 15, 2023
Updated
Mar 20, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-367, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 15, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 20, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.2Insyde SoftwareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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