CVE-2023-52100VulnerabilityPublished 16 Jan 2024Updated 2 Jun 2025

CVE-2023-52100: Huawei HarmonyOS · Improper Access Control

Affects Huawei HarmonyOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 31% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Jan 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Huawei HarmonyOS	Affected =4.0.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Immediate mitigation should involve restricting the use of Huawei HarmonyOS 4.0.0 devices in critical environments until patches or updates are available. 2. Monitor Huawei's official security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2023-52100 and apply them promptly once released. 3. Implement network-level controls to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to untrusted networks, including segmentation and firewall rules that restrict inbound traffic to these devices. 4. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring unusual behaviors related to input devices or keyboard modules to detect potential exploitation attempts. 5. For organizations with mobile device management (MDM) systems, enforce policies that restrict installation of untrusted applications and control device configurations to minimize attack surface. 6. Educate users on reporting device malfunctions or unusual behavior promptly to enable rapid incident response. 7. Consider alternative devices or operating systems for critical roles where availability is paramount until the vulnerability is fully mitigated.

Description

The Celia Keyboard module has a vulnerability in access control. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect availability.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-52100 depends largely on the presence and usage of Huawei devices running HarmonyOS 4.0.0 within their IT environment. Enterprises or public sector entities using Huawei smartphones or IoT devices as part of their operations could face service disruptions if this vulnerability is exploited. The availability impact could lead to temporary loss of input functionality, potentially halting critical workflows or communications. In sectors where device availability is crucial—such as healthcare, transportation, or emergency services—this could have operational consequences. Additionally, organizations relying on Huawei devices for remote work or mobile communications might experience productivity losses. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the denial-of-service potential could be leveraged in targeted attacks aiming to disrupt organizational operations. Given the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding Huawei products in Europe, some organizations may already have limited exposure, but those with Huawei device deployments should consider this vulnerability seriously.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Jul 2025, 16:25 UTC

Technical details

References

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