CVE-2025-68966 is a permission control vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) found in the Notepad module of Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system, specifically versions 5.0.1, 5.1.0, and 6.0.0. The flaw allows unauthorized local actors to access sensitive data stored or processed by the Notepad application without requiring any privileges or user interaction, indicating a direct confidentiality breach. The CVSS v3.1 score of 5.1 reflects medium severity, with an attack vector limited to local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The vulnerability does not impact data integrity or system availability, focusing solely on confidentiality. No known public exploits or active exploitation campaigns have been reported, suggesting limited current risk but potential future threat if exploited. The absence of vendor patches at the time of reporting necessitates vigilance. The vulnerability likely stems from insufficient permission checks or improper access control mechanisms within the Notepad module, allowing unauthorized read access to sensitive user data. Given Huawei's significant market share in mobile and IoT devices in Europe, especially in consumer and enterprise environments, this vulnerability could expose sensitive notes or data to local attackers with physical or local network access. The technical details emphasize the need for strict local access controls and timely patching once updates are released.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-68966 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored in the Notepad module of HarmonyOS devices. This could lead to data leakage of confidential notes, intellectual property, or personal information, potentially compromising privacy and business confidentiality. Although the vulnerability requires local access and has high attack complexity, insider threats or attackers with physical access to devices could exploit it. The breach of confidentiality could undermine trust in Huawei devices within enterprise environments and affect compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR. The lack of impact on integrity and availability limits the scope to information exposure, but this can still have significant reputational and operational consequences. Organizations relying on Huawei HarmonyOS devices for critical communications or data storage should consider this vulnerability a moderate risk, especially in sectors handling sensitive data like finance, healthcare, and government.

1. Monitor Huawei’s official security advisories and apply patches promptly once they become available to address CVE-2025-68966. 2. Restrict physical and local network access to devices running affected versions of HarmonyOS to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 3. Implement device-level encryption and secure storage mechanisms to reduce the impact of unauthorized data access. 4. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce strict access controls and monitor device usage for suspicious activity. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local access vulnerabilities and encourage secure handling of devices, especially in shared or public environments. 6. Conduct regular audits of device configurations and permissions to ensure that no unnecessary access rights are granted to applications or users. 7. Consider isolating or limiting the use of Huawei HarmonyOS devices in environments with high confidentiality requirements until patches are applied.