CVE-2022-44563: Race condition vulnerability in Huawei HarmonyOS
There is a race condition vulnerability in SD upgrade mode. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect data confidentiality.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2022-44563 is a race condition vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS versions 2.0 and 2.1, specifically within the SD upgrade mode component. A race condition occurs when multiple processes or threads access shared resources concurrently, and the timing of their execution leads to unexpected behavior. In this case, the vulnerability arises due to improper synchronization during the SD upgrade process, which can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N). Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, thereby compromising data confidentiality. However, the vulnerability does not impact data integrity or system availability. The CVSS score of 5.9 (medium severity) reflects a moderate risk primarily due to the high attack complexity (AC:H), meaning exploitation requires specific conditions or timing, which reduces the likelihood of widespread exploitation. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-362, which pertains to race conditions, a common concurrency issue that can lead to unpredictable and insecure system states. Given the nature of the vulnerability, attackers could potentially leverage it to extract confidential information during the upgrade process, which is a critical operation in maintaining system integrity and security. HarmonyOS is Huawei's proprietary operating system used primarily in IoT devices, smartphones, and other consumer electronics, which increases the attack surface in environments where these devices are deployed.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in the potential exposure of confidential data on devices running affected versions of HarmonyOS. This is particularly relevant for sectors that utilize Huawei devices extensively, such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and smart city infrastructure. The compromise of data confidentiality could lead to leakage of sensitive corporate or personal information, intellectual property theft, or exposure of operational data. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, direct disruption of services or data manipulation is less likely. However, the breach of confidentiality can have downstream effects, including reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and loss of competitive advantage. The medium CVSS score and high attack complexity suggest that while exploitation is not trivial, targeted attacks against high-value assets remain a concern. Additionally, the lack of patches increases the window of exposure. Organizations relying on HarmonyOS devices for critical operations should be aware of the potential risks, especially in environments where secure upgrade processes are essential. The vulnerability also poses a risk to supply chain security if compromised devices are integrated into larger systems without detection.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Monitor Huawei's official security advisories closely for patches or updates addressing CVE-2022-44563 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Implement network segmentation to isolate HarmonyOS devices, especially those involved in upgrade processes, limiting exposure to untrusted networks. 3. Employ strict access controls and monitoring on devices running HarmonyOS to detect unusual upgrade activities or timing anomalies indicative of race condition exploitation attempts. 4. Where possible, disable or restrict SD upgrade mode functionality on devices that do not require frequent upgrades or where alternative upgrade mechanisms exist. 5. Conduct thorough security assessments and penetration testing focused on concurrency and upgrade mechanisms within HarmonyOS devices deployed in the environment. 6. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying abnormal process behaviors related to upgrade operations. 7. Educate IT and security teams about the specific nature of race condition vulnerabilities to improve incident response readiness. 8. For critical infrastructure, consider deploying additional data encryption at rest and in transit to mitigate potential confidentiality breaches even if the upgrade process is compromised.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland
CVE-2022-44563: Race condition vulnerability in Huawei HarmonyOS
Description
There is a race condition vulnerability in SD upgrade mode. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect data confidentiality.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2022-44563 is a race condition vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS versions 2.0 and 2.1, specifically within the SD upgrade mode component. A race condition occurs when multiple processes or threads access shared resources concurrently, and the timing of their execution leads to unexpected behavior. In this case, the vulnerability arises due to improper synchronization during the SD upgrade process, which can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N). Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, thereby compromising data confidentiality. However, the vulnerability does not impact data integrity or system availability. The CVSS score of 5.9 (medium severity) reflects a moderate risk primarily due to the high attack complexity (AC:H), meaning exploitation requires specific conditions or timing, which reduces the likelihood of widespread exploitation. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-362, which pertains to race conditions, a common concurrency issue that can lead to unpredictable and insecure system states. Given the nature of the vulnerability, attackers could potentially leverage it to extract confidential information during the upgrade process, which is a critical operation in maintaining system integrity and security. HarmonyOS is Huawei's proprietary operating system used primarily in IoT devices, smartphones, and other consumer electronics, which increases the attack surface in environments where these devices are deployed.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in the potential exposure of confidential data on devices running affected versions of HarmonyOS. This is particularly relevant for sectors that utilize Huawei devices extensively, such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and smart city infrastructure. The compromise of data confidentiality could lead to leakage of sensitive corporate or personal information, intellectual property theft, or exposure of operational data. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, direct disruption of services or data manipulation is less likely. However, the breach of confidentiality can have downstream effects, including reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and loss of competitive advantage. The medium CVSS score and high attack complexity suggest that while exploitation is not trivial, targeted attacks against high-value assets remain a concern. Additionally, the lack of patches increases the window of exposure. Organizations relying on HarmonyOS devices for critical operations should be aware of the potential risks, especially in environments where secure upgrade processes are essential. The vulnerability also poses a risk to supply chain security if compromised devices are integrated into larger systems without detection.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Monitor Huawei's official security advisories closely for patches or updates addressing CVE-2022-44563 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Implement network segmentation to isolate HarmonyOS devices, especially those involved in upgrade processes, limiting exposure to untrusted networks. 3. Employ strict access controls and monitoring on devices running HarmonyOS to detect unusual upgrade activities or timing anomalies indicative of race condition exploitation attempts. 4. Where possible, disable or restrict SD upgrade mode functionality on devices that do not require frequent upgrades or where alternative upgrade mechanisms exist. 5. Conduct thorough security assessments and penetration testing focused on concurrency and upgrade mechanisms within HarmonyOS devices deployed in the environment. 6. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying abnormal process behaviors related to upgrade operations. 7. Educate IT and security teams about the specific nature of race condition vulnerabilities to improve incident response readiness. 8. For critical infrastructure, consider deploying additional data encryption at rest and in transit to mitigate potential confidentiality breaches even if the upgrade process is compromised.
Affected Countries
For access to advanced analysis and higher rate limits, contact root@offseq.com
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- huawei
- Date Reserved
- 2022-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 682d9839c4522896dcbecc60
Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:09:13 AM
Last enriched: 6/25/2025, 7:42:58 PM
Last updated: 8/14/2025, 11:06:47 PM
Views: 11
Related Threats
CVE-2025-54475: CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command in joomsky.com JS Jobs component for Joomla
HighCVE-2025-54474: CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') in dj-extensions.com DJ-Classifieds component for Joomla
HighCVE-2025-54473: CWE-434 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type in phoca.cz phoca.cz - Phoca Commander for Joomla
CriticalCVE-2025-9050: SQL Injection in projectworlds Travel Management System
MediumCVE-2025-9047: SQL Injection in projectworlds Visitor Management System
MediumActions
Updates to AI analysis are available only with a Pro account. Contact root@offseq.com for access.
External Links
Need enhanced features?
Contact root@offseq.com for Pro access with improved analysis and higher rate limits.