CVE-2022-39095 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the power management service of multiple Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, including SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, and a range of T-series and S-series SoCs (System on Chips). These chipsets are integrated into devices running Android versions 10, 11, and 12. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862, which denotes a missing authorization check. Specifically, the power management service lacks proper permission validation, allowing an attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) to configure or manipulate power management settings without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8 (high), with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating that the attack vector is local, requires low attack complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree. This means an attacker who has gained local access to the device (e.g., through a compromised app or local user) can exploit this flaw to escalate privileges or disrupt device operations by altering power management configurations, potentially leading to denial of service, data leakage, or unauthorized control over device power states. No public exploits are known at this time, and no patches have been explicitly linked in the provided data, though the vendor has reserved the CVE since September 2022 and published it in December 2022. The affected products are widely used in budget and mid-range smartphones, IoT devices, and embedded systems that rely on Unisoc chipsets, which are prevalent in various markets including Europe.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-39095 can be significant, especially for enterprises and service providers relying on devices powered by Unisoc chipsets running Android 10 to 12. The vulnerability allows local attackers or malicious applications to bypass authorization controls in the power management service, potentially leading to unauthorized modification of power states, causing device instability or denial of service. This can disrupt critical business operations, especially in sectors relying on mobile devices for communication, fieldwork, or IoT deployments such as logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare. Furthermore, the high impact on confidentiality and integrity means sensitive data could be exposed or altered, increasing the risk of data breaches or manipulation of device behavior. Given the low privilege requirement and no need for user interaction, the attack surface is broad, including malicious apps or insiders with limited access. This vulnerability could also be leveraged as a stepping stone for further privilege escalation or persistent compromise within devices, affecting supply chain security and endpoint integrity. Organizations using Unisoc-based devices in their infrastructure should consider this a serious risk, particularly where device uptime and data security are critical.

Monitor vendor communications closely for official patches or firmware updates addressing CVE-2022-39095 and apply them promptly once available. Implement strict application vetting and runtime monitoring on devices using Unisoc chipsets to detect and block unauthorized attempts to access or modify power management services. Restrict installation of applications from untrusted sources to reduce the risk of local privilege exploitation via malicious apps. Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, including limiting local user privileges and controlling app permissions related to system services. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing on devices with Unisoc chipsets to identify potential exploitation attempts or unusual power management behavior. For IoT deployments, isolate Unisoc-based devices on segmented networks to limit lateral movement if a device is compromised. Educate users and administrators about the risks of installing unverified software and the importance of timely updates. Where feasible, consider alternative hardware platforms with better security track records for critical applications until this vulnerability is fully mitigated.