CVE-2025-68960 identifies a race condition vulnerability classified under CWE-362 within Huawei's HarmonyOS video framework module, affecting versions 5.0.1 and 5.1.0. The flaw stems from improper synchronization during concurrent execution of threads accessing shared resources, which can lead to unpredictable behavior such as memory corruption, data leakage, or system crashes. The vulnerability is local attack vector (AV:L), requiring no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), indicating that an attacker with local access can exploit it without elevated permissions. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.4 reflects high severity due to its impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high). The race condition could allow attackers to disrupt video processing services, potentially causing denial of service or unauthorized data exposure. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability's presence in a core multimedia component makes it a critical concern for devices relying on HarmonyOS for video functionalities. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates proactive risk management. This vulnerability highlights the challenges of concurrent programming in complex OS modules and underscores the importance of robust synchronization mechanisms to prevent race conditions.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-68960 is on the availability and reliability of devices running Huawei HarmonyOS, particularly those utilizing video processing capabilities. Disruption of video framework services could affect communication, surveillance, and multimedia applications critical to business operations. Confidentiality and integrity are also at risk due to potential data leakage or corruption caused by the race condition. Organizations in sectors such as telecommunications, media, and government that deploy HarmonyOS devices may face operational downtime, data breaches, or degraded service quality. The local attack vector limits remote exploitation but insider threats or compromised local devices could leverage this vulnerability. Given Huawei's significant market presence in Europe, especially in countries with strong telecom infrastructure, the vulnerability could have widespread implications. Additionally, the high CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability could be exploited to cause severe damage if left unmitigated, potentially impacting compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR due to availability and confidentiality breaches.

1. Monitor Huawei's official channels for security patches addressing CVE-2025-68960 and apply updates promptly once available. 2. Restrict local access to devices running affected HarmonyOS versions by enforcing strict physical and network access controls to minimize the risk of local exploitation. 3. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and prevent unauthorized local code execution. 4. For organizations developing or customizing HarmonyOS-based solutions, conduct thorough code reviews focusing on concurrency control and synchronization in multimedia modules. 5. Implement runtime monitoring to detect abnormal behavior or crashes in the video framework that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local attacks and the importance of device security hygiene. 7. Consider network segmentation to isolate critical HarmonyOS devices from less secure network zones to reduce attack surface. 8. Maintain comprehensive logging and incident response plans to quickly identify and mitigate exploitation attempts.