CVE-2025-68959 is a vulnerability identified in Huawei's HarmonyOS, specifically within the media library module. The flaw is a permission verification bypass, classified under CWE-200, which means sensitive information can be exposed to unauthorized actors. This bypass allows an attacker with local access to the device to retrieve confidential data without needing any privileges or user interaction. The affected versions span from 3.0.0 up to 4.3.1, covering multiple recent releases of HarmonyOS. The vulnerability does not impact the integrity or availability of the system but compromises confidentiality, potentially leaking sensitive user or system data stored or managed by the media library. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.2, indicating medium severity, with an attack vector limited to local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is high on confidentiality (C:H), none on integrity (I:N), and none on availability (A:N). No public exploits or patches are currently known, which suggests the vulnerability has not yet been weaponized or widely exploited. However, the absence of patches means affected users remain vulnerable. The media library module likely handles multimedia content and metadata, so exposure could include personal media files, metadata, or other sensitive information stored or processed by the OS. This vulnerability highlights the importance of robust permission checks in OS modules managing sensitive data.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-68959 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information on devices running affected versions of Huawei HarmonyOS. This could include personal or corporate multimedia data, potentially leading to privacy violations, intellectual property leaks, or exposure of confidential communications. Since exploitation requires local access without privileges or user interaction, the threat is more relevant in scenarios where devices might be physically accessed by unauthorized personnel or compromised insiders. The confidentiality breach could undermine trust in Huawei devices within corporate environments, especially in sectors handling sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and government. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive data could facilitate further attacks or social engineering campaigns. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but also means organizations must proactively monitor and prepare for potential future attacks. The impact is heightened in environments where Huawei devices are widely deployed and integrated into critical workflows.

To mitigate CVE-2025-68959, European organizations should implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to Huawei devices running affected HarmonyOS versions. Device usage policies should restrict access to trusted personnel only and enforce screen locks and encryption to reduce data exposure risk. Monitoring and logging local access attempts can help detect suspicious activity. Organizations should maintain an inventory of devices and their OS versions to identify those at risk. Since no patches are currently available, organizations should engage with Huawei for updates and apply security patches promptly once released. Additionally, consider isolating or limiting the use of vulnerable devices in sensitive environments until remediation is possible. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying anomalous local access or data exfiltration attempts. User education on the risks of physical device compromise and secure handling of devices is also critical. Finally, evaluate alternative devices or OS platforms if the risk profile is unacceptable and no timely patch is forthcoming.