CVE-2022-41603 is a set of vulnerabilities identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS version 2.0, specifically within the fingerprint trusted application (TA). The vulnerabilities include a heap overflow (CWE-787), out-of-bounds read (CWE-125), and null pointer dereference (CWE-476). These issues arise from improper memory handling in the fingerprint TA, which is responsible for managing fingerprint authentication services on devices running HarmonyOS. Exploiting these vulnerabilities could lead to denial of service or potentially impact the integrity of the fingerprint service, although no direct confidentiality impact has been reported. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.4 (low severity), with an attack vector requiring local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and unchanged scope (S:U). This means an attacker must already have high-level privileges on the device to exploit these flaws, and no user interaction is needed. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been publicly linked yet. The vulnerabilities could cause the fingerprint service to crash or behave unpredictably, potentially denying legitimate users access to fingerprint authentication or causing system instability. However, the lack of remote exploitability and the requirement for high privileges limit the immediate risk. These vulnerabilities highlight the importance of secure memory management in trusted applications, especially those handling biometric data, to prevent service disruption or potential escalation of privileges if chained with other vulnerabilities.

For European organizations, the direct impact of CVE-2022-41603 is relatively limited due to the low severity and the requirement for local high privileges to exploit. However, organizations using Huawei devices running HarmonyOS 2.0, particularly in sectors relying on biometric authentication for secure access (e.g., finance, government, telecommunications), could face service disruptions if the fingerprint TA is compromised. Disruption of fingerprint authentication could lead to denial of service for users relying on this biometric method, potentially forcing fallback to less secure authentication methods or causing operational delays. Additionally, if combined with other vulnerabilities, these memory issues could be leveraged for privilege escalation or further attacks, increasing risk. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat, but organizations should remain vigilant. The impact on confidentiality is minimal, but integrity and availability of the fingerprint service are affected. Given the growing use of Huawei devices in Europe, particularly in certain markets and industries, the threat is relevant but not critical.

European organizations should take the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Inventory and identify all Huawei devices running HarmonyOS 2.0 within their environment, focusing on those used for sensitive operations involving biometric authentication. 2) Monitor Huawei's security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2022-41603 and apply updates promptly once available. 3) Restrict administrative and high-privilege access on devices to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 4) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to fingerprint service crashes or memory corruption attempts. 5) Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) policies that do not solely rely on fingerprint authentication to maintain access continuity if fingerprint services are disrupted. 6) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on biometric authentication components to identify potential chained vulnerabilities. 7) Educate users and administrators about the risks of granting high privileges and the importance of device security hygiene. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on device inventory, privilege management, and layered authentication strategies specific to the affected product and vulnerability.