CVE-2021-22445
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an input verification vulnerability in Huawei smartphones that allows attackers to cause system resets through improper input validation. The vulnerability affects Huawei smartphone users running vulnerable software versions. Successful exploitation disrupts device availability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones
📦 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
Persistent denial of service through repeated system resets, rendering the device unusable and potentially causing data loss or corruption.
Likely Case
Temporary device unavailability through forced system reset, disrupting user operations and potentially interrupting critical functions.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and security controls in place, preventing malicious input from reaching vulnerable components.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted input to vulnerable components; likely requires some level of access or user interaction.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Specific patch versions would be in Huawei's June 2021 security bulletins
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/6/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in device Settings > System & updates > Software update. 2. Download and install available security updates. 3. Restart device after update completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Limit app permissions
allRestrict unnecessary app permissions to reduce attack surface
Avoid untrusted inputs
allDo not interact with untrusted content or applications
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices from untrusted networks
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized apps
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device software version in Settings > About phone > Build number and compare against Huawei's security bulletinsCheck Version:
Settings > About phone > Build number (no CLI command available)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify software version is updated to June 2021 or later security patch level📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected system reboots
- Crash logs from system services
- Abnormal input validation failures
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic to device services
- Suspicious input patterns
SIEM Query:
device_logs: "system reboot" OR "crash" AND device_type: "huawei" AND timestamp >= [timeframe]