CVE-2025-54631 is an integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability (CWE-190) identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS, specifically within the partition module. The root cause is insufficient data length verification, which can lead to integer overflow conditions during processing of partition-related data. When an integer overflow occurs, it can cause unexpected behavior such as memory corruption, buffer overflows, or logic errors. In this case, the vulnerability primarily impacts system availability, potentially causing crashes or denial of service conditions. The affected versions include HarmonyOS releases 4.0.0 through 5.1.0, indicating a broad range of impacted devices running these OS versions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.7, categorized as medium severity, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack requires local access with low attack complexity but high privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability's exploitation could allow a privileged local attacker to cause system instability or denial of service by triggering the integer overflow in the partition module, which is critical for managing storage partitions and system resources. Given the integral role of the partition module, exploitation could disrupt device operation or cause data loss.

For European organizations using Huawei devices running HarmonyOS, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to system availability and potentially to data integrity and confidentiality due to the high impact scores in those areas. Enterprises relying on HarmonyOS-based devices for critical communications, IoT infrastructure, or mobile operations could face service disruptions or device failures if exploited. The requirement for high privileges and local access limits remote exploitation but insider threats or compromised devices could leverage this vulnerability to cause denial of service or escalate attacks. The lack of patches increases the window of exposure. Disruptions in availability could affect business continuity, especially in sectors using Huawei hardware extensively, such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and smart city deployments. Additionally, the potential for data corruption or leakage due to integrity and confidentiality impacts could have compliance and reputational consequences under European data protection regulations.

1. Restrict local access to devices running affected HarmonyOS versions by enforcing strict physical and network access controls to prevent unauthorized privileged access. 2. Monitor and audit privileged user activities closely to detect any anomalous behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 3. Deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting abnormal system crashes or partition module anomalies. 4. Coordinate with Huawei for timely patch releases and apply updates as soon as they become available. 5. Where possible, isolate critical HarmonyOS devices in segmented network zones to limit lateral movement in case of compromise. 6. Implement robust backup and recovery procedures to mitigate potential data loss from availability disruptions. 7. Educate privileged users on the risks of local exploitation and enforce the principle of least privilege to minimize attack surface. 8. Consider alternative devices or OS versions if patching is delayed and risk is unacceptable.