CVE-2022-26859 in Dell
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2022
Dell BIOS contains a race condition vulnerability. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious input via SMI in order to bypass security checks during SMM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2022
The CVE-2022-26859 vulnerability represents a critical race condition flaw within Dell BIOS implementations that fundamentally undermines system security through the System Management Mode. This vulnerability exists in the handling of System Management Interrupts which are critical for low-level system operations and security enforcement. The race condition manifests when malicious input is transmitted through SMI handlers during the execution of security-critical checks within the System Management Mode, creating a temporal window where security validation can be bypassed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of SMI (System Management Interrupt) handlers that are responsible for processing system management requests and enforcing security policies during firmware operations. When a local attacker crafts specific SMI payloads, they can trigger the race condition during the execution of security validation routines, allowing them to circumvent access controls and authentication mechanisms that should normally be enforced within the SMM context. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the firmware level where traditional operating system security controls are ineffective, and the SMM executes with the highest privilege level.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond typical software exploits as it provides attackers with privileged access to system firmware components that control hardware initialization, memory management, and security policy enforcement. An attacker who successfully exploits this race condition could potentially gain persistent access to system boot processes, modify firmware images, or establish backdoors that survive operating system reboots. The vulnerability affects Dell systems that utilize the affected BIOS versions, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where system integrity and security are paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-26859 should focus on firmware updates provided by Dell, which address the race condition through proper synchronization mechanisms and enhanced input validation within SMI handlers. Organizations should prioritize applying these patches immediately while implementing additional monitoring of SMI activity for suspicious patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-362 which describes race conditions in security-critical contexts, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1542 for system firmware modifications. Security teams should also consider implementing firmware integrity monitoring solutions and establishing baseline configurations that can detect unauthorized modifications to BIOS components.