CVE-2025-54634 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS versions 5.1.0 and 5.0.1. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-755, which relates to improper handling of exceptional conditions. Specifically, this flaw arises from improper processing of abnormal conditions during huge page separation, a memory management operation that deals with large memory pages to optimize performance. When the system encounters unexpected or abnormal conditions in this process, it fails to handle them correctly, potentially leading to system instability or crashes. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.0 indicates a high impact, with the vector specifying that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), but the impact on confidentiality is high (C:H), integrity is low (I:L), and availability is high (A:H). This suggests that an attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability to cause significant denial of service or potentially leak sensitive information, although integrity impact is limited. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that this is a recently disclosed vulnerability. Given the nature of the flaw, exploitation would likely result in system crashes or memory corruption, affecting the availability of devices running the affected HarmonyOS versions.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54634 could be substantial, especially for those relying on Huawei devices running HarmonyOS, such as IoT devices, smartphones, or embedded systems. The vulnerability's potential to cause denial of service can disrupt business operations, particularly in sectors where continuous availability is critical, such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. The high confidentiality impact also raises concerns about possible data leakage, which could affect compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations. Organizations using HarmonyOS in operational technology or network edge devices may face increased risk of service outages or data exposure. Additionally, the requirement for local access means that attackers would need some level of physical or network proximity, which could be feasible in environments with shared access or insufficient internal network segmentation. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the lack of patches necessitates proactive risk management.

European organizations should implement several targeted mitigation strategies beyond generic advice: 1) Inventory and identify all Huawei HarmonyOS devices, specifically versions 5.0.1 and 5.1.0, within their environment to assess exposure. 2) Restrict local access to these devices by enforcing strict physical security controls and network segmentation to limit potential attacker proximity. 3) Monitor system logs and device behavior for signs of abnormal crashes or memory errors that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4) Engage with Huawei support channels to obtain timely patches or workarounds as they become available, and prioritize patch deployment once released. 5) Consider deploying runtime protection or endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying anomalous memory management behavior on affected devices. 6) For critical systems, evaluate the feasibility of temporarily replacing or isolating vulnerable devices until patches are applied. 7) Educate internal teams about the vulnerability to ensure rapid reporting and response to any suspicious activity related to HarmonyOS devices.