CVE-2025-54613 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS version 5.1.0, specifically within the card management module. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-664, which relates to improper control of a resource through its lifetime. Technically, this manifests as an iterator failure, indicating that the software does not correctly manage the lifecycle of an iterator object used to traverse or manage collections of data within the card management module. This improper handling can lead to unexpected behavior such as use-after-free, dangling pointers, or resource leaks, which in turn may destabilize the affected function or module. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.9, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector indicates local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a low level (C:L/I:L/A:L). There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, but exploitation requires local access to the device running HarmonyOS 5.1.0. The impact primarily concerns function stability, which may cause crashes or erratic behavior in the card management module, potentially affecting system reliability or availability of certain services dependent on this module.

For European organizations utilizing Huawei devices running HarmonyOS 5.1.0, particularly those relying on the card management module (which may be involved in SIM card management or other secure element interactions), this vulnerability could lead to instability in critical functions. While the direct impact on confidentiality and integrity is low, the availability and reliability of services could be compromised, potentially disrupting business operations or communications. This is especially relevant for telecom operators, enterprises using Huawei-based IoT devices, or mobile endpoints within corporate environments. Given the local access requirement, the threat is more significant in scenarios where devices are physically accessible by attackers or where malware could gain local execution privileges. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the possibility of future exploitation. Disruptions caused by this vulnerability could affect service continuity, leading to operational downtime or degraded user experience, which in regulated sectors such as finance or critical infrastructure could have compliance and reputational consequences.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Prioritize updating HarmonyOS devices to patched versions once Huawei releases a fix, monitoring official Huawei security advisories closely. 2) Restrict physical and local access to devices running HarmonyOS 5.1.0, implementing strict endpoint security controls and device management policies. 3) Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect and prevent unauthorized local code execution that could exploit this vulnerability. 4) Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments on Huawei devices within their environment to identify any anomalous behavior linked to the card management module. 5) For critical deployments, consider network segmentation and isolation of Huawei HarmonyOS devices to limit lateral movement in case of compromise. 6) Educate IT and security staff about the vulnerability and the importance of monitoring device stability and logs for signs of exploitation attempts. These steps go beyond generic patching advice by emphasizing access control, monitoring, and proactive detection tailored to the local attack vector nature of this vulnerability.