CVE-2021-22371
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an improper permission management vulnerability in Huawei smartphones that allows unauthorized access to sensitive services. Successful exploitation could compromise service confidentiality by exposing protected data or functionality. The vulnerability affects Huawei smartphone users with specific software versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones
📦 What is this software?
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Emui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain unauthorized access to sensitive smartphone services, potentially exposing personal data, authentication credentials, or device functionality that should be protected.
Likely Case
Local attackers or malicious apps bypass permission checks to access protected services, leading to information disclosure about device state or user activities.
If Mitigated
With proper app sandboxing and permission controls, exploitation would be limited to specific services rather than full device compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation likely requires local access or malicious app installation. No public exploit code was found in initial research.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Huawei security updates from May 2021 onward
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/5/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for available updates in Settings > System & updates > Software update. 2. Download and install the latest security update. 3. Restart the device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app permissions
allReview and restrict unnecessary app permissions to limit potential attack surface
Install apps only from trusted sources
allPrevent installation of potentially malicious apps that could exploit this vulnerability
🧯 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 device software version in Settings > About phone > Build number and compare against Huawei's May 2021 security bulletinCheck Version:
No command-line option; check through device Settings interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the security patch level includes May 2021 or later updates in Settings > About phone > Build number📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual permission requests from apps
- Unexpected service access attempts in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from smartphone services
SIEM Query:
No standard SIEM query available for mobile device permission bypass vulnerabilities