CVE-2022-29279 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the SdHostDriver and SdMmcDevice components, which are involved in handling Secure Digital (SD) card interfaces within certain system environments. The core issue arises from the use of an untrusted pointer, which enables an attacker to tamper with both System Management RAM (SMRAM) and operating system memory. SMRAM is a protected memory region used by system firmware (such as BIOS or UEFI) to store sensitive code and data, and unauthorized access or modification can lead to severe security breaches including privilege escalation and persistent firmware-level compromise. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-119, indicating a classic buffer or memory corruption issue due to improper pointer validation or handling. Exploitation requires local access with high privileges (as indicated by the CVSS vector: AV:L/PR:H/UI:N), but no user interaction is needed. The vulnerability affects multiple kernel versions starting from 5.0 through 5.5, with specific patch versions released to address the flaw. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.2, reflecting its critical impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as well as its exploitability under certain conditions. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for severe system compromise exists if exploited. The vulnerability was discovered by Insyde during a security review and fixed in various kernel versions with updated driver releases. The issue underscores the importance of validating pointers and memory references in low-level drivers that interact with hardware components, especially those that manage sensitive memory regions like SMRAM.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, particularly to enterprises and government agencies relying on affected kernel versions in their infrastructure. Successful exploitation could allow attackers with elevated privileges to manipulate SMRAM and OS memory, leading to full system compromise, persistent firmware-level malware installation, or bypass of security controls. This can result in data breaches, disruption of critical services, and loss of system integrity. Organizations using Linux-based systems with affected kernel versions in environments such as data centers, industrial control systems, or endpoint devices are at risk. The ability to tamper with SMRAM is especially concerning as it can undermine trusted computing bases and firmware security, potentially evading detection by conventional security tools. Given the high severity and the critical nature of the affected components, the vulnerability could impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data and systems. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the risk remains substantial if patches are not applied promptly.

European organizations should prioritize the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Identify and inventory all systems running Linux kernels versions 5.0 through 5.5 or any other affected versions that include the vulnerable SdHostDriver and SdMmcDevice components. 2) Apply the vendor-provided patches or kernel updates that address CVE-2022-29279 immediately, ensuring that the kernel versions are updated to at least the fixed versions indicated (e.g., 05.09.17 for kernel 5.0, 05.17.17 for 5.1, etc.). 3) For systems where immediate patching is not feasible, implement strict access controls to limit high-privilege user access, as exploitation requires elevated privileges. 4) Monitor system logs and firmware integrity checks for unusual activity that could indicate attempts to exploit SMRAM or OS memory tampering. 5) Employ hardware-based security features such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Secure Boot to help detect unauthorized firmware modifications. 6) Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans focusing on kernel and driver components. 7) Educate system administrators about the risks associated with untrusted pointer usage in low-level drivers and the importance of timely patch management. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on kernel version management, privilege restriction, and firmware integrity monitoring specific to this vulnerability.