CVE-2025-54653 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS versions 5.0.1 and 5.0.2, specifically within the virtualization file module. Path traversal vulnerabilities occur when an application improperly restricts user-supplied input used to access files or directories, allowing attackers to navigate outside the intended directory boundaries. In this case, the flaw allows an attacker with limited privileges (low privileges required) and no user interaction to exploit the vulnerability remotely (local access vector) to access sensitive files or directories beyond the virtualization file module's restricted scope. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality severely, potentially exposing sensitive data managed by the virtualization file module. Additionally, the vulnerability affects system availability, as indicated by the CVSS vector (Availability: High impact), possibly through denial-of-service conditions triggered by unauthorized file access or manipulation. The vulnerability does not impact integrity directly but has a scope change, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially intended security scope. While no known exploits are reported in the wild yet, the high CVSS score of 8.4 underscores the critical need for remediation. The absence of patches at the time of reporting suggests that organizations using affected HarmonyOS versions remain vulnerable. Given the virtualization file module's role, exploitation could compromise virtualized environments or containerized applications running on HarmonyOS, potentially leading to broader system compromise or data leakage within virtualized contexts.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54653 can be significant, especially for those relying on Huawei HarmonyOS in critical infrastructure, telecommunications, or IoT deployments. The confidentiality breach risk could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive virtualized data, intellectual property, or user information. The high availability impact could disrupt services relying on virtualization, affecting business continuity and operational stability. Organizations in sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and smart city implementations that use HarmonyOS-based devices or systems may face increased risk. Additionally, given Huawei's market presence in Europe, especially in telecommunications equipment and IoT devices, this vulnerability could be exploited to target European networks or endpoints, potentially facilitating espionage or sabotage. The requirement for low privileges and no user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat level. Furthermore, the scope change indicates that the vulnerability could impact multiple components or systems beyond the initial module, amplifying potential damage.

1. Immediate upgrade: Organizations should prioritize upgrading HarmonyOS to a patched version once Huawei releases a fix. Until then, restrict access to systems running affected versions (5.0.1 and 5.0.2) to trusted users only. 2. Access controls: Implement strict access control policies limiting user privileges on devices running HarmonyOS, especially restricting access to virtualization file modules. 3. Network segmentation: Isolate HarmonyOS devices within segmented network zones to limit lateral movement in case of exploitation. 4. Monitoring and detection: Deploy file integrity monitoring and anomaly detection tools focused on virtualization file system activities to detect suspicious path traversal attempts. 5. Virtualization hardening: Harden virtualization environments by applying best practices such as limiting file system permissions, disabling unnecessary services, and enforcing strict container or VM isolation. 6. Incident response readiness: Prepare incident response plans specific to virtualization compromise scenarios, including forensic capabilities to analyze potential data exfiltration or service disruption. 7. Vendor engagement: Maintain close communication with Huawei for timely patch releases and security advisories related to this vulnerability.