CVE-2022-40262 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in AMI's Aptio firmware, specifically affecting version 5.x. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-123 Write-what-where condition, which allows an attacker to write arbitrary data to arbitrary memory locations during the Pre-EFI Initialization (PEI) phase of the boot process. This phase occurs very early during system startup, before the operating system loads, making exploitation particularly impactful. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker with high privileges and local access can execute arbitrary code at the PEI phase, thereby influencing subsequent boot stages. This can lead to bypassing firmware and hardware mitigations designed to protect system integrity and confidentiality. The attacker can potentially disclose physical memory contents, including secrets from any virtual machines running on the system, effectively breaking memory isolation and confidential computing boundaries. Furthermore, the attacker can inject malicious payloads into the System Management RAM (SMRAM), a highly privileged memory region used by System Management Mode (SMM), which is typically isolated from the operating system and other software layers. This can enable persistent and stealthy firmware-level compromise, making detection and remediation extremely difficult. The vulnerability affects the S3Resume2Pei module (SHA256: 7bb29f05534a8a1e010443213451425098faebd45948a4642db969b19d0253fc) identified by GUID 89E549B0-7CFE-449D-9BA3-10D8B2312D71. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.2, indicating high severity, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access with high privileges but no user interaction, and it impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability with a scope change. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date, and no official patches are linked in the provided information, suggesting organizations must monitor vendor advisories closely. This vulnerability is critical for environments relying on AMI Aptio firmware, especially where virtualized workloads and confidential computing are in use, as it undermines foundational security assumptions at the firmware level.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-40262 is significant due to the widespread use of AMI Aptio firmware in servers, workstations, and embedded systems across various industries including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. Exploitation could lead to complete compromise of system firmware, allowing attackers to bypass security controls, extract sensitive data from virtual machines, and maintain persistent, stealthy access at a level below the operating system. This threatens confidentiality of critical data, integrity of system operations, and availability of services. In sectors with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, unauthorized disclosure of personal or sensitive data could result in severe legal and financial consequences. Additionally, the ability to bypass confidential computing boundaries undermines efforts to secure cloud and virtualized environments, which are increasingly adopted by European enterprises. The stealthy nature of firmware-level attacks complicates detection and incident response, potentially leading to prolonged breaches and increased remediation costs. Organizations relying on virtualization and confidential computing technologies are particularly at risk, as this vulnerability can expose secrets and cryptographic keys that are assumed to be protected by hardware and firmware isolation mechanisms.

1. Immediate firmware updates: Organizations should urgently check with AMI and their hardware vendors for firmware updates or patches addressing CVE-2022-40262 and apply them as soon as they become available. 2. Restrict local privileged access: Since exploitation requires high privileges and local access, tighten physical and administrative access controls to prevent unauthorized users from gaining such access. 3. Enable and enforce secure boot and measured boot: These mechanisms can help detect unauthorized firmware modifications and prevent execution of untrusted code during boot. 4. Use hardware-based security features: Employ Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Intel Boot Guard or equivalent technologies to protect boot integrity. 5. Monitor firmware integrity: Deploy tools capable of detecting firmware anomalies or unauthorized changes, including runtime firmware integrity verification solutions. 6. Harden virtualization environments: Limit exposure of virtual machines by applying strict isolation policies and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns. 7. Incident response preparedness: Develop and test incident response plans that include firmware compromise scenarios, ensuring rapid detection and remediation. 8. Vendor engagement: Maintain close communication with AMI and hardware vendors for timely threat intelligence and patch releases. 9. Network segmentation: Isolate critical systems with vulnerable firmware to reduce attack surface and lateral movement opportunities. 10. Audit and limit use of SMM: Where possible, disable or restrict System Management Mode features that are not essential, reducing attack vectors for SMRAM injection.