CVE-2025-27241 is a vulnerability identified in OpenHarmony versions 5.0.3 and prior, specifically including version 4.1.0. The issue is classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476), which occurs when the software attempts to read or write to a memory location through a pointer that has a NULL value. In this case, the vulnerability can be triggered by a local attacker, leading to a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The attack vector is local, requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and low attack complexity (AC:L). The vulnerability impacts availability (A:L) but does not affect confidentiality or integrity. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.3, indicating a low severity level. The vulnerability does not appear to have known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The root cause is a failure to properly validate pointer references before dereferencing, which causes the system or application to crash or become unresponsive when the NULL pointer is accessed. This can disrupt normal operations on devices running affected OpenHarmony versions, potentially impacting embedded systems, IoT devices, or other platforms using this OS. Since the attack requires local access and low privileges, it is likely exploitable by an insider or through compromised local access rather than remote attackers. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact means data leakage or tampering is not a concern here, but service availability can be interrupted, which may be critical depending on the deployment context.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-27241 is the potential for denial-of-service on devices running vulnerable OpenHarmony versions. OpenHarmony is an open-source operating system often used in IoT and embedded devices, which are increasingly deployed in industrial, smart city, and consumer environments across Europe. A successful local DoS attack could disrupt critical services or device functionality, especially in sectors relying on continuous operation such as manufacturing automation, healthcare devices, or smart infrastructure. Although the vulnerability requires local access and low privileges, insider threats or attackers who gain physical or local network access could exploit this to cause service interruptions. The low severity and lack of remote exploitability reduce the risk of widespread attacks, but organizations with OpenHarmony-based devices should still consider the operational impact of potential device crashes or reboots. In environments with strict availability requirements, even short disruptions could have cascading effects. Additionally, the absence of patches at the time of disclosure means organizations must rely on compensating controls until updates are available.

1. Restrict local access to devices running OpenHarmony to trusted personnel only, employing strong physical security and network segmentation to limit exposure. 2. Monitor device logs and behavior for signs of crashes or abnormal reboots that could indicate exploitation attempts. 3. Implement strict access control policies and user privilege management to minimize the number of users with local access rights. 4. Where possible, deploy devices in hardened configurations that disable unnecessary local interfaces or services that could be leveraged to trigger the vulnerability. 5. Stay informed on OpenHarmony vendor updates and apply patches promptly once available. 6. Consider implementing watchdog or automated recovery mechanisms to minimize downtime if a device becomes unresponsive due to this vulnerability. 7. Conduct internal security awareness training to reduce insider threat risks related to local exploitation. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on limiting local attack vectors and operational resilience until a patch is released.