CVE-2021-22335
📋 TL;DR
This is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in Huawei smartphone image processing components. Attackers could exploit this to cause memory corruption, potentially leading to crashes or arbitrary code execution. Affected users are those with vulnerable Huawei smartphone models running unpatched software.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones with affected EMUI versions
📦 What is this software?
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with system-level privileges, allowing complete device compromise and data exfiltration.
Likely Case
Application crashes or denial of service in image processing functions, potentially causing instability in camera or gallery apps.
If Mitigated
Controlled crash with no privilege escalation when proper memory protections are enabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction (opening malicious image file). No public exploit code available as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: EMUI 11.0.0.195 (C00E195R5P5) and later
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/4/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Go to Settings > System & updates > Software update. 2. Check for updates. 3. Download and install EMUI 11.0.0.195 or later. 4. Restart device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable automatic image processing
allPrevent automatic parsing of image files in messaging and browser apps
Use trusted sources only
allAvoid opening image files from untrusted sources or unknown senders
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate device from untrusted networks and limit app installations
- Implement mobile device management with strict application controls
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check EMUI version in Settings > About phone > EMUI version. If version is 11.0.0 or earlier and build number is below C00E195R5P5, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.emuiVerify Fix Applied:
Verify EMUI version is 11.0.0.195 or later in Settings > About phone.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Camera/gallery app crashes
- Memory corruption errors in system logs
- Unexpected process terminations
Network Indicators:
- Unusual image file downloads preceding crashes
SIEM Query:
source="android_system" AND (event="APP_CRASH" AND process="com.huawei.camera" OR process="com.huawei.gallery")