CVE-2025-58309 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-264, indicating improper permissions, privileges, or access controls within Huawei's HarmonyOS, specifically in the startup recovery module. This module is critical for system restoration during boot failures or recovery scenarios. The vulnerability allows an attacker with local access to exploit insufficient permission checks, potentially causing denial of service (impacting availability) and unauthorized access to sensitive information (impacting confidentiality). The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H) indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), with limited confidentiality impact (C:L), no integrity impact (I:N), but high availability impact (A:H). Affected versions include HarmonyOS 5.0.1, 5.1.0, and 6.0.0, which are deployed on various Huawei devices, including smartphones, IoT devices, and potentially embedded systems. No patches have been released yet, and no exploits are known in the wild, but the vulnerability's presence in a critical system component makes it a significant concern. Attackers exploiting this flaw could disrupt device operation or access sensitive recovery data, undermining system trust and stability.

For European organizations, the vulnerability poses a risk primarily to availability and confidentiality of Huawei devices running affected HarmonyOS versions. Telecommunications providers, enterprises using Huawei smartphones or IoT devices, and critical infrastructure operators relying on Huawei technology could experience service disruptions or data leakage. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but increases risk in environments where physical device access is possible, such as shared workspaces, public areas, or insider threats. Disruption of startup recovery could lead to device bricking or prolonged downtime, impacting business continuity. Confidentiality impact, while limited, could expose sensitive recovery data, potentially aiding further attacks. Given Huawei's significant market share in Europe, especially in telecom infrastructure and consumer devices, the vulnerability could affect a broad range of sectors, including government, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Organizations should implement strict physical and local access controls to prevent unauthorized users from interacting with devices running affected HarmonyOS versions. Monitoring and logging of recovery module activities can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Huawei should be engaged to prioritize patch development and timely deployment once available. Until patches are released, consider isolating critical devices or restricting their use in high-risk environments. Device inventory management to identify and track affected versions is essential. For enterprise deployments, enforce endpoint security policies that limit local access and use device management solutions to monitor device health and recovery states. Additionally, educating users and administrators about the risks of local access vulnerabilities can reduce inadvertent exposure.