CVE-2025-54655 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability classified under CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use, TOCTOU) affecting Huawei's HarmonyOS versions 5.0.1 and 5.0.2. The vulnerability resides in the virtualization base module, specifically impacting the virtualization graphics module. A TOCTOU race condition occurs when a system checks a condition and then uses the result of that check at a later time, during which the state may have changed, leading to inconsistent or insecure behavior. In this case, the race condition could allow an attacker to manipulate the timing between the check and the use of resources in the virtualization graphics module, potentially compromising its confidentiality and integrity. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 indicates a high severity, with the vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H meaning the attack requires local access with high attack complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction, but it affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability with scope changed (the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature suggests that an attacker with local access could exploit it to escalate privileges or manipulate graphics virtualization processes, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or system instability. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, especially those utilizing Huawei HarmonyOS in environments where virtualization and graphics modules are critical (such as telecommunications, embedded systems, or IoT devices), this vulnerability poses significant risks. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive graphical data or manipulation of virtualization processes, undermining system integrity and confidentiality. Given the high CVSS score and the scope change, the vulnerability could allow attackers to affect other system components beyond the virtualization graphics module, potentially leading to broader system compromise. This is particularly concerning for sectors with stringent data protection requirements under GDPR, as confidentiality breaches could result in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Moreover, organizations relying on Huawei's ecosystem for critical infrastructure or consumer devices may face operational disruptions if attackers exploit this flaw to cause denial of service or data corruption. The requirement for local access somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where insider threats or compromised local accounts are possible.

Given the absence of official patches at the time of reporting, European organizations should implement several targeted mitigation strategies: 1) Restrict local access to devices running affected HarmonyOS versions by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring local user activities to detect suspicious behavior. 2) Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the ability of untrusted processes to interact with the virtualization graphics module. 3) Monitor system logs and virtualization module behavior for anomalies indicative of race condition exploitation attempts, such as unexpected timing patterns or resource access conflicts. 4) Engage with Huawei support channels to obtain timely updates or workarounds and prioritize patch deployment once available. 5) Conduct thorough security audits of virtualization environments to identify and remediate potential privilege escalation paths that could be leveraged alongside this vulnerability. 6) Implement network segmentation to isolate devices running HarmonyOS from critical network segments, reducing the impact of potential compromises. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, behavioral monitoring, and environment hardening specific to the virtualization context of this vulnerability.