CVE-2023-52552
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an input verification vulnerability in the power module of Huawei devices running HarmonyOS. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to cause denial-of-service conditions, affecting device availability. This primarily impacts Huawei smartphone and tablet users running vulnerable HarmonyOS versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei smartphones
- Huawei tablets
📦 What is this software?
Emui by Huawei
Harmonyos by Huawei
Harmonyos by Huawei
Harmonyos by Huawei
Harmonyos by Huawei
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device unavailability requiring physical reset or service center intervention, potentially affecting critical device functions.
Likely Case
Temporary service disruption or device instability requiring reboot to restore normal operation.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and security controls in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation likely requires local access or malicious application installation; no public exploit details available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Security patch level March 2024 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2024/3/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Navigate to Settings > System & updates > Software update. 2. Check for updates. 3. Install March 2024 security patch or later. 4. Restart device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app permissions
allLimit power-related permissions for untrusted applications
Disable unnecessary system services
allReduce attack surface by disabling unused power management features
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices from untrusted networks and users
- Implement strict application whitelisting policies
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Settings > About phone > HarmonyOS version and security patch level. If patch level is before March 2024, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Settings > About phone > HarmonyOS versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows March 2024 or later in Settings > About phone.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected power module crashes
- System stability issues in power management logs
- Abnormal power state transitions
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Device logs showing power module exceptions or unexpected reboots🔗 References
- https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2024/3/
- https://device.harmonyos.com/en/docs/security/update/security-bulletins-202403-0000001667644725
- https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/bulletin/2024/3/
- https://device.harmonyos.com/en/docs/security/update/security-bulletins-202403-0000001667644725
