CVE-2023-52116 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS, specifically affecting the multi-screen interaction module. The root cause is classified under CWE-269, which pertains to improper privilege management. This means that the system fails to correctly enforce permission boundaries, allowing unauthorized operations within the multi-screen interaction functionality. The affected versions span multiple major releases of HarmonyOS, including 2.0.0 through 4.0.0, indicating a long-standing issue across several iterations of the operating system. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.1 score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity level, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction needed (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N/I:N), but a high impact on availability (A:H). Exploiting this vulnerability could cause service exceptions or disruptions on affected devices, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation (no privileges or user interaction required) and the impact on device availability make this a significant risk. The vulnerability affects the multi-screen interaction module, which is critical for seamless device interoperability and user experience in HarmonyOS environments. Improper privilege management here could allow attackers to disrupt these services remotely, impacting device functionality and user productivity.

For European organizations using Huawei devices running HarmonyOS, especially in environments where multi-screen interaction is leveraged for productivity or operational purposes, this vulnerability poses a risk of service disruption. The denial of service impact could affect business continuity, particularly in sectors relying on Huawei's ecosystem for communication and collaboration. Given the high availability impact, critical infrastructure or enterprise environments using these devices could experience operational interruptions. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the loss of availability can indirectly affect organizational workflows and service delivery. Additionally, the lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for potential attackers, increasing the risk of automated or remote exploitation attempts. This could be particularly concerning for organizations with remote or hybrid work models relying on these devices. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation, especially as threat actors often target widely deployed platforms with known vulnerabilities.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize updating affected Huawei HarmonyOS devices to patched versions once available from Huawei, as no patch links are currently provided. In the interim, organizations should implement network-level protections such as firewall rules to restrict external access to services related to multi-screen interaction modules. Monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns targeting HarmonyOS devices can help detect exploitation attempts early. Employing device management solutions to inventory and track HarmonyOS versions deployed within the organization will aid in rapid identification and remediation. Additionally, disabling or limiting the use of multi-screen interaction features on devices where this functionality is not essential can reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also engage with Huawei support channels to obtain official patches or workarounds and stay informed about any emerging exploits or updates. Finally, incorporating this vulnerability into incident response plans will prepare teams to respond swiftly to any exploitation attempts.