CVE-2025-68956 identifies a race condition vulnerability (CWE-362) in the card framework module of Huawei's HarmonyOS version 6.0.0. This flaw occurs due to improper synchronization when multiple threads concurrently access shared resources, leading to unpredictable behavior. Specifically, the vulnerability can cause data corruption or system instability by allowing concurrent execution paths to interfere with each other. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.0 reflects a high severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), low confidentiality impact (C:L), high integrity impact (I:H), and high availability impact (A:H). Exploiting this vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction but does require local access to the device. The primary impact is on system availability and integrity, potentially resulting in denial of service or corrupted data within the card framework, which may affect applications relying on this module. No patches or known exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability's nature suggests that attackers with local access could disrupt device functionality. The card framework is a critical component, and its compromise could cascade to affect broader system stability. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper synchronization in multi-threaded environments to prevent race conditions that can be exploited to degrade system reliability.

For European organizations, the exploitation of CVE-2025-68956 could lead to significant operational disruptions, particularly in environments where Huawei HarmonyOS devices are integrated into critical infrastructure or enterprise ecosystems. The availability impact could manifest as denial of service conditions, affecting user productivity and service continuity. Integrity impacts could result in corrupted data or malfunctioning applications dependent on the card framework, potentially undermining trust in device reliability. Confidentiality impact is lower but not negligible, as race conditions sometimes enable information leakage indirectly. Given the local access requirement, the threat is more pronounced in scenarios where devices are physically accessible or where attackers have gained local footholds, such as through insider threats or compromised endpoints. Organizations in sectors like telecommunications, manufacturing, and public services that utilize Huawei devices may face increased risk. The absence of known exploits provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high CVSS score indicates that once exploited, the consequences could be severe. This vulnerability also raises concerns about supply chain security and device trustworthiness within European digital ecosystems.

1. Monitor Huawei's official channels closely for patches addressing CVE-2025-68956 and apply them promptly once released. 2. Restrict local access to HarmonyOS devices by enforcing strict physical security controls and limiting administrative privileges. 3. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection to detect and prevent unauthorized local code execution. 4. Conduct thorough audits of multi-threaded applications and frameworks in use to identify and remediate synchronization issues proactively. 5. Deploy runtime monitoring tools capable of detecting anomalous behavior indicative of race condition exploitation, such as unexpected crashes or resource contention patterns. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local access vulnerabilities and enforce policies to minimize exposure. 7. For critical environments, consider network segmentation to isolate vulnerable devices and reduce the attack surface. 8. Collaborate with Huawei and cybersecurity communities to share intelligence and best practices related to HarmonyOS security. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, proactive detection, and vendor engagement specific to the nature of this race condition vulnerability.