CVE-2021-40046
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-40046 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Huawei PCManager version 11.1.1.95 that allows attackers to access resources beyond their authorized privileges. This affects users running the vulnerable version of Huawei PCManager software on their systems. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized system access and control.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei PCManager
📦 What is this software?
Pcmanager by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attacker gains full system administrator privileges, installs malware, steals sensitive data, and establishes persistent access to the compromised system.
Likely Case
Local attacker escalates privileges to install unauthorized software, modify system settings, or access protected files and resources.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to isolated systems with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the system. No public proof-of-concept has been released as of the advisory date.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after 11.1.1.95
Vendor Advisory: https://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20220216-01-priesc-en
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Huawei PCManager. 2. Check for updates in settings. 3. Install available updates. 4. Restart the computer to complete installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Uninstall PCManager
windowsRemove the vulnerable software entirely if not needed
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Select Huawei PCManager > Uninstall
Restrict Local Access
allLimit physical and remote access to systems with vulnerable software
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit who can log into affected systems
- Monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts and file access patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check PCManager version: Open PCManager > Settings > About. If version is 11.1.1.95, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wmic product where name="Huawei PCManager" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify PCManager version is higher than 11.1.1.95 and check that no privilege escalation attempts are successful.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Unauthorized access to protected system resources
- PCManager process spawning with elevated privileges
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName="PCManager.exe" AND NewProcessName contains "cmd.exe" OR "powershell.exe"