CVE-2021-22354
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Huawei smartphones that could allow attackers to read sensitive information from device memory. The vulnerability affects multiple Huawei smartphone models running specific EMUI versions. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones
📦 What is this software?
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could read sensitive data from device memory including authentication tokens, passwords, or other confidential information, potentially leading to account compromise or further system access.
Likely Case
Information disclosure allowing attackers to read limited memory contents, potentially exposing some device information or application data.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, the risk is reduced to minimal as the vulnerability requires local access or malicious app installation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the device or installation of a malicious application. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: EMUI 11.0.1.195 (C00E195R5P5) and later versions
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/5/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current EMUI version in Settings > About phone. 2. If vulnerable, go to Settings > System & updates > Software update. 3. Download and install the latest security update. 4. Restart device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable unknown sources installation
allPrevents installation of malicious apps that could exploit this vulnerability
Settings > Security > Install unknown apps > Disable for all apps
Restrict app permissions
allLimit app permissions to reduce attack surface
Settings > Apps > App permissions > Review and restrict unnecessary permissions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices from sensitive networks and data
- Implement mobile device management (MDM) with strict app whitelisting
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check EMUI version in Settings > About phone. If version is EMUI 11.0.0 or EMUI 11.0.1 (before 11.0.1.195), the device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Settings > About phone > EMUI versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify EMUI version is 11.0.1.195 (C00E195R5P5) or later in Settings > About phone.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual memory access patterns in system logs
- Multiple failed memory read attempts from untrusted apps
Network Indicators:
- Not network exploitable - focus on device-level indicators
SIEM Query:
Device logs showing abnormal memory access patterns or privilege escalation attempts from mobile applications