CVE-2021-37075
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a credentials management vulnerability in Huawei smartphones that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive authentication data. Successful exploitation may compromise confidentiality of user credentials. Affected users are those with vulnerable Huawei smartphone models running specific HarmonyOS versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones
📦 What is this software?
Emui by Huawei
Harmonyos by Huawei
Magic Ui by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain unauthorized access to user credentials, potentially leading to account takeover, data theft, and further system compromise.
Likely Case
Local attackers or malicious apps could extract stored credentials, compromising user accounts and sensitive data.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and updated devices, impact is limited to isolated credential exposure with minimal lateral movement.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation likely requires local access or malicious app with appropriate permissions; no public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: October 2021 security updates for HarmonyOS
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/10/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for updates in Settings > System & updates > Software update. 2. Install available security updates. 3. Restart device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app permissions
allLimit app permissions to reduce attack surface for credential extraction
Enable device encryption
allEnsure device encryption is active to protect stored credentials
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate vulnerable devices from sensitive networks and data
- Implement strict app installation policies and monitor for suspicious activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device model and HarmonyOS version in Settings > About phone, compare with Huawei security bulletinsCheck Version:
Settings > About phone > HarmonyOS versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify HarmonyOS version is October 2021 or later security update in Settings > About phone📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual credential access patterns in system logs
- Multiple failed authentication attempts from unexpected sources
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected credential transmission to external servers
- Anomalous authentication traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="huawei_device" AND (event_type="credential_access" OR auth_failure_count > threshold)🔗 References
- https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/10/
- https://device.harmonyos.com/en/docs/security/update/security-bulletins-202109-0000001196270727
- https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2021/10/
- https://device.harmonyos.com/en/docs/security/update/security-bulletins-202109-0000001196270727
