CVE-2022-40135: Medium Vulnerability in Lenovo Firmware

CVE-2022-40135 is an information leak vulnerability found in the Smart USB Protection SMI Handler affecting various Lenovo models. This weakness allows an attacker with local access and elevated privileges to read SMM memory, potentially exposing sensitive data. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 4.4, indicating a medium severity level, and organizations should prioritize addressing this issue.

The risk to organizations includes unauthorized access to sensitive information stored in SMM memory, which could lead to further exploitation or data breaches. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the immediate threat level may be lower in environments with strict physical security controls. However, it is crucial for defenders to act promptly.

At this time, there are no known public exploits or proof-of-concept codes available for this vulnerability. However, organizations should not be complacent, as the potential for exploitation exists. The urgency for remediation is moderate; organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle.

Given the implications of this vulnerability, it is advisable for organizations using affected Lenovo models to review their security posture and ensure that any relevant firmware updates are applied without delay.

Vulnerability Details

The official description of CVE-2022-40135 states that it is an information leak vulnerability in the Smart USB Protection SMI Handler in certain Lenovo models, enabling an attacker with local access and elevated privileges to read SMM memory. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-125.

The CVSS score is 4.4, which reflects a medium severity due to its local attack vector and low complexity for exploitation. The attack requires high privileges, but no user interaction is necessary.

Technical Analysis

The root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate handling of memory access in the Smart USB Protection SMI Handler. Attackers can leverage this weakness by gaining local access to the affected device, which allows them to read sensitive System Management Mode (SMM) memory. The attack complexity is low, and attackers need to possess high privileges to exploit this vulnerability.

Since user interaction is not required for exploitation, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability quietly, increasing the risk of undetected data breaches. The vulnerability does not impact the integrity or availability of the system, but the confidentiality impact is rated as high.

Risk & Impact Analysis

The real-world deployment risk for CVE-2022-40135 is significant, particularly for organizations that utilize the affected Lenovo models in environments where physical security is not strictly enforced. The potential for an attacker to access sensitive memory contents poses a high risk, especially in environments handling confidential information.

Organizations should consider the blast radius of this vulnerability, as it could lead to unauthorized access not only to local data but also to other systems if the attacker can leverage the information obtained. Given the CVSS score, the urgency for patching this vulnerability should be moderate, and organizations should include it in their priority patch cycle.

Exploitation Status

Affected Versions

The following versions of Lenovo firmware are affected by CVE-2022-40135: ideacentre_c5-14imb05, thinkcentre_e96z, ideacentre_3_07iab7, ideacentre_3-07imb05, ideacentre_5-14acn6, ideacentre_5-14are05, ideacentre_5-14imb05, ideacentre_5-14iob6, ideacentre_creator_5-14iob6, ideacentre_g5-14imb05, ideacentre_gaming_5_17acn7, ideacentre_gaming_5-14acn6, ideacentre_gaming_5-14iob6, legion_c530-19icb, legion_t5-26iob6, legion_t5-28icb05, legion_t530-28apr, legion_t530-28icb, legion_t7-34imz5, thinkcentre_m60e_tiny, thinkcentre_m625q, thinkcentre_m630e, thinkcentre_m6600q, thinkcentre_m6600s, thinkcentre_m6600t, thinkcentre_m70a, thinkcentre_m70a_gen_2, thinkcentre_m70c, thinkcentre_m70q, thinkcentre_m70q_gen_2, thinkcentre_m70q_gen_3, thinkcentre_m70s_gen_3, thinkcentre_m70t_gen_3, thinkcentre_m710e, thinkcentre_m710q, thinkcentre_m710s, thinkcentre_m710t, thinkcentre_m715q, thinkcentre_m715t, thinkcentre_m720e, thinkcentre_m720q, thinkcentre_m720s, thinkcentre_m720t, thinkcentre_m725s, thinkcentre_m75n, thinkcentre_m75q_gen_2, thinkcentre_m75q-1, thinkcentre_m75s_gen_2, thinkcentre_m75s-1, thinkcentre_m75t_gen_2, thinkcentre_m80q, thinkcentre_m810z, thinkcentre_m818z, thinkcentre_m820z, thinkcentre_m90a, thinkcentre_m90a_gen2, thinkcentre_m90q_gen_2, thinkcentre_m90q_tiny, thinkcentre_m910q, thinkcentre_m910s, thinkcentre_m910t, thinkcentre_m910x, thinkcentre_m920q, thinkcentre_m920s, thinkcentre_m920t, thinkcentre_m920x, thinkcentre_neo_50s_gen_3, thinkcentre_neo_50t_gen_3, qitian_a815, qt_b415, qt_m410, qt_m415, ideacentre_t540-15ama_g, ideacentre_t540-15ick, thinkcentre_e75_t\/s, thinkcentre_m610, thinkcentre_m6600q, thinkcentre_m6600s, thinkcentre_m6600t, ideacentre_3-07ada05, ideacentre_5-14are05, ideacentre_g5-14amr05, ideacentre_510-15ick, ideacentre_510a-15arr, ideacentre_510a-15ick, ideacentre_510s-07icb, ideacentre_510s-07ick, ideacentre_720-18apr, ideacentre_a340-22igm, ideacentre_a340-24igm, v30a-22iml, v30a-24iml, v330-20icb, v35s-07ada, v50a-22imb, v50a-24imb, v50s-07imb, v50t-13imb, v50t-13iob_g2, v520, v520s, v530-15arr, v530-15icb, v530-15icr, v530-22icb, v530-24icb, v530s-07icb, v530s-07icr, v540-24iwl, v55t_gen_2_13acn, v55t-15api, v55t-15are, yangtian_afq150, yta8900f, yoga_a940-27icb, thinkedge_se30, thinksmart_core_\&_controller_full_room_kit\, thinksmart_core_\&_controller_kit\, thinksmart_core_device_for_logitech, thinksmart_core_device_for_poly, thinksmart_hub_teams, thinksmart_hub_zoom, thinkstation_p310, thinkstation_p318, thinkstation_p320_tiny, thinkstation_p330_tiny, thinkstation_p340, thinkstation_p340_tiny, thinkstation_p348, thinkstation_p350, thinkstation_p350_tiny, thinkstation_p520, thinkstation_p520c, thinkstation_p620, thinksystem_st50, thinksystem_st58.

Mitigation & Remediation

Organizations should ensure that their firmware is updated to the latest version as provided by Lenovo. The patch information for this vulnerability can be found on the Lenovo support page. If an immediate patch cannot be applied, organizations should consider implementing security measures such as restricting physical access to systems and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts.

For comprehensive protection, organizations may also consider engaging in penetration testing services to identify potential weaknesses in their systems.

Detection Guidance

Detection of exploitation attempts can be achieved through monitoring logs for unusual access patterns, specifically targeting firmware and SMM memory access. Organizations should also establish alerts for unauthorized local access attempts and ensure that security controls are in place to mitigate risks.

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

The long-term significance of CVE-2022-40135 lies in its representation of vulnerabilities that can be exploited through local access. This highlights the need for organizations to maintain strict physical security controls and implement monitoring systems to detect unauthorized access.

The pattern of information leak vulnerabilities in firmware components emphasizes the importance of regular updates and vulnerability assessments. Security teams should be vigilant in identifying and remediating such vulnerabilities to reduce the risk of data breaches.

For further insights into security best practices, organizations can refer to our vulnerability management program and explore our penetration testing methodology for comprehensive security measures.