CVE-2025-64311 is a permission control vulnerability identified in the Notepad module of Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system, specifically affecting versions 5.0.1, 5.1.0, and 6.0.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200, which involves the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. Technically, this flaw allows an attacker who has local access to the device to bypass permission controls and access sensitive data stored or processed by the Notepad module. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.1 indicates a medium severity level, with an attack vector classified as local (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact is limited to confidentiality (C:H), with no effect on integrity or availability. Since the attack requires local access and has high complexity, remote exploitation is not feasible, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability could potentially expose sensitive notes or data stored within the Notepad app, which may include personal or business-critical information. The absence of available patches at the time of reporting suggests that organizations should implement interim mitigations to reduce risk until official fixes are released.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-64311 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored in the Notepad module on Huawei HarmonyOS devices. This could lead to data breaches involving personal, corporate, or intellectual property data, undermining confidentiality and potentially violating data protection regulations such as GDPR. The requirement for local access and high attack complexity reduces the likelihood of widespread exploitation but does not eliminate risks from insider threats or physical device compromise. Organizations relying on Huawei devices for mobile or IoT deployments may face increased risk, particularly in sectors handling sensitive or regulated data. The exposure could damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory penalties, and facilitate further targeted attacks if sensitive information is leveraged by adversaries. However, the lack of impact on integrity and availability limits the scope of operational disruption.

1. Monitor Huawei’s official security advisories and apply patches promptly once they become available for the affected HarmonyOS versions. 2. Restrict physical and local access to Huawei devices running affected versions, especially in sensitive environments, to reduce the risk of exploitation. 3. Implement device management policies that enforce strong authentication and access controls to limit unauthorized local usage. 4. Conduct regular audits of device configurations and installed applications to detect unauthorized modifications or suspicious activity. 5. Educate users about the risks of local device compromise and encourage secure handling of devices containing sensitive information. 6. Where possible, isolate or limit the use of the Notepad module for storing highly sensitive data until patches are applied. 7. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying anomalous local access patterns on Huawei devices. 8. Consider network segmentation and data encryption strategies to minimize the impact of potential data exposure from compromised devices.