CVE-2019-5228
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in certain detection modules of Huawei smartphones allows out-of-bounds write when multiple processes call a function simultaneously. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution. Affected devices include Huawei P30, P30 Pro, and Honor V20 smartphones with specific firmware versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei P30
- Huawei P30 Pro
- Honor V20
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device compromise with attacker gaining full control over the smartphone, potentially accessing sensitive data, installing persistent malware, or using the device for further attacks.
Likely Case
Malicious application gains elevated privileges to access sensitive data, modify system settings, or install additional malware without user knowledge.
If Mitigated
Attack fails due to updated firmware, application sandboxing, or user declining installation of malicious apps.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (installing malicious app) and race condition triggering. No public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: ELLE-AL00B 9.1.0.193(C00E190R1P21), VOGUE-AL00A 9.1.0.193(C00E190R1P12), Princeton-AL10B 9.1.0.233(C00E233R4P3) or later
Vendor Advisory: http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20190911-01-smartphone-en
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current firmware version in Settings > System > About phone. 2. If vulnerable, go to Settings > System > Software update. 3. Download and install available updates. 4. Restart device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app installations
androidOnly install applications from official Huawei AppGallery or trusted sources
Settings > Security > Install unknown apps > Disable for all apps
Enable Google Play Protect
androidUse Google's malware scanning for installed apps
Google Play Store > Menu > Play Protect > Scan device for security threats
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Replace affected devices with updated models or different brands
- Implement strict mobile device management policies to control app installations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Settings > System > About phone > Build number against affected versions listCheck Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.display.idVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Build number shows patched version: ELLE-AL00B 9.1.0.193(C00E190R1P21) or higher, VOGUE-AL00A 9.1.0.193(C00E190R1P12) or higher, Princeton-AL10B 9.1.0.233(C00E233R4P3) or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple processes accessing same detection module simultaneously
- Unexpected privilege escalation in app logs
- Crash reports from system detection modules
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic from mobile device after app installation
- Connections to known malicious domains from device
SIEM Query:
device_type:mobile AND (event_type:app_install OR event_type:privilege_escalation) AND device_model:(P30 OR "P30 Pro" OR "Honor V20")