diff --git a/audit/internal/collector/board.go b/audit/internal/collector/board.go
index f5e870b..bac4421 100644
--- a/audit/internal/collector/board.go
+++ b/audit/internal/collector/board.go
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+var execDmidecode = func(typeNum string) (string, error) {
+	out, err := exec.Command("dmidecode", "-t", typeNum).Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(out), nil
+}
+
 // collectBoard runs dmidecode for types 0, 1, 2 and returns the board record
 // plus the BIOS firmware entry. Any failure is logged and returns zero values.
 func collectBoard() (schema.HardwareBoard, []schema.HardwareFirmwareRecord) {
@@ -141,9 +149,5 @@ func cleanDMIValue(v string) string {
 
 // runDmidecode executes dmidecode -t <typeNum> and returns its stdout.
 func runDmidecode(typeNum string) (string, error) {
-	out, err := exec.Command("dmidecode", "-t", typeNum).Output()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return string(out), nil
+	return execDmidecode(typeNum)
 }
diff --git a/audit/internal/collector/collector.go b/audit/internal/collector/collector.go
index 8089899..c04ef8a 100644
--- a/audit/internal/collector/collector.go
+++ b/audit/internal/collector/collector.go
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ func Run(_ runtimeenv.Mode) schema.HardwareIngestRequest {
 	snap.Board = board
 	snap.Firmware = append(snap.Firmware, biosFW...)
 
-	cpus, cpuFW := collectCPUs(snap.Board.SerialNumber)
-	snap.CPUs = cpus
-	snap.Firmware = append(snap.Firmware, cpuFW...)
+	snap.CPUs = collectCPUs(snap.Board.SerialNumber)
 
 	snap.Memory = collectMemory()
 	sensorDoc, err := readSensorsJSONDoc()
diff --git a/audit/internal/collector/cpu.go b/audit/internal/collector/cpu.go
index 8fbd2d2..3d71f18 100644
--- a/audit/internal/collector/cpu.go
+++ b/audit/internal/collector/cpu.go
@@ -6,30 +6,28 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
 
-// collectCPUs runs dmidecode -t 4 and reads microcode version from sysfs.
-func collectCPUs(boardSerial string) ([]schema.HardwareCPU, []schema.HardwareFirmwareRecord) {
+// collectCPUs runs dmidecode -t 4 and enriches CPUs with microcode from sysfs.
+func collectCPUs(boardSerial string) []schema.HardwareCPU {
 	out, err := runDmidecode("4")
 	if err != nil {
 		slog.Warn("cpu: dmidecode type 4 failed", "err", err)
-		return nil, nil
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	cpus := parseCPUs(out, boardSerial)
-
-	var firmware []schema.HardwareFirmwareRecord
 	if mc := readMicrocode(); mc != "" {
-		firmware = append(firmware, schema.HardwareFirmwareRecord{
-			DeviceName: "CPU Microcode",
-			Version:    mc,
-		})
+		for i := range cpus {
+			cpus[i].Firmware = &mc
+		}
 	}
 
 	slog.Info("cpu: collected", "count", len(cpus))
-	return cpus, firmware
+	return cpus
 }
 
 // parseCPUs splits dmidecode output into per-processor sections and parses each.
@@ -180,7 +178,7 @@ func parseInt(v string) int {
 // readMicrocode reads the CPU microcode revision from sysfs.
 // Returns empty string if unavailable.
 func readMicrocode() string {
-	data, err := os.ReadFile("/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/microcode/version")
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(cpuSysBaseDir, "cpu0", "microcode", "version"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
diff --git a/audit/internal/collector/cpu_test.go b/audit/internal/collector/cpu_test.go
index a93863d..8ff2250 100644
--- a/audit/internal/collector/cpu_test.go
+++ b/audit/internal/collector/cpu_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package collector
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -63,6 +65,39 @@ func TestParseCPUs_unpopulated_skipped(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCollectCPUsSetsFirmwareFromMicrocode(t *testing.T) {
+	tmp := t.TempDir()
+	origBase := cpuSysBaseDir
+	cpuSysBaseDir = tmp
+	t.Cleanup(func() { cpuSysBaseDir = origBase })
+
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(tmp, "cpu0", "microcode"), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("mkdir microcode dir: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmp, "cpu0", "microcode", "version"), []byte("0x2b000643\n"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write microcode version: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	origRun := execDmidecode
+	execDmidecode = func(typeNum string) (string, error) {
+		if typeNum != "4" {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected dmidecode type: %s", typeNum)
+		}
+		return mustReadFile(t, "testdata/dmidecode_type4.txt"), nil
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { execDmidecode = origRun })
+
+	cpus := collectCPUs("CAR315KA0803B90")
+	if len(cpus) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 CPUs, got %d", len(cpus))
+	}
+	for i, cpu := range cpus {
+		if cpu.Firmware == nil || *cpu.Firmware != "0x2b000643" {
+			t.Fatalf("cpu[%d] firmware=%v want microcode", i, cpu.Firmware)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParseCPUStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		input string