CVE-2025-46589 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS version 5.0.0, specifically within the app lock module. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284, which relates to improper access control. This means that the app lock module, designed to restrict unauthorized access to applications, contains a flaw that could allow unauthorized users to bypass these controls. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.4, indicating a medium impact level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects confidentiality and integrity at a low level (C:L/I:L), with no impact on availability (A:N). Exploiting this vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to a device running HarmonyOS 5.0.0 to bypass app lock protections, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive applications and data, thereby compromising confidentiality and integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved on April 25, 2025, and published on May 6, 2025. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it is primarily a local threat requiring user interaction, limiting its exploitation scope but still posing a risk to device security and user data privacy.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-46589 depends largely on the adoption of Huawei HarmonyOS devices within their infrastructure or by their employees. Since the vulnerability allows unauthorized access to applications protected by the app lock module, sensitive corporate or personal data stored in these apps could be exposed or tampered with. This could lead to breaches of confidentiality, especially if apps contain business-critical information or personal data protected under GDPR. Integrity could also be compromised if attackers modify app data or settings. Although the attack requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or physical access scenarios (e.g., lost or stolen devices) could be exploited. The vulnerability does not affect availability, so denial-of-service is not a concern here. Organizations relying on Huawei devices for mobile operations, especially those handling sensitive or regulated data, should consider this vulnerability a risk to their data protection and compliance posture.

1. Restrict physical and local access to Huawei HarmonyOS devices, enforcing strict device usage policies and secure storage to prevent unauthorized physical access. 2. Educate users about the risk of social engineering or phishing attempts that could trick them into interacting with malicious content that exploits this vulnerability. 3. Monitor for updates from Huawei and apply patches promptly once available; since no patch links are currently provided, maintain close vendor communication. 4. Implement additional layers of security such as device encryption, multi-factor authentication for device unlocking, and mobile device management (MDM) solutions that can enforce security policies and remotely wipe compromised devices. 5. Regularly audit and review app lock configurations and usage to ensure they are correctly implemented and not bypassed by other means. 6. Consider limiting the use of HarmonyOS devices in environments with high security requirements until the vulnerability is patched.