CVE-2026-24918 is a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability (CWE-476) identified in the communication module of Huawei's HarmonyOS, specifically affecting versions 4.3.1, 5.1.0, and 6.0.0. This vulnerability arises when the system attempts to read from a NULL pointer, leading to an invalid memory access that can cause the affected process or system component to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability impacts the availability of the system by potentially triggering denial of service conditions. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H), exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), with low confidentiality impact (C:L), no integrity impact (I:N), and high availability impact (A:H). The communication module is critical for device networking and inter-process communication, so disruption here can degrade device functionality or cause system instability. No patches are currently linked, and no active exploits have been reported, indicating the vulnerability is newly disclosed and may not yet be weaponized. However, the potential for denial of service makes it a concern for environments relying on HarmonyOS devices for continuous operation. The vulnerability was reserved on January 28, 2026, and published on February 6, 2026, indicating recent discovery. The lack of required privileges and user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation by local attackers or malicious applications with local execution capabilities.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2026-24918 is on system availability, potentially causing denial of service on Huawei devices running affected HarmonyOS versions. This can disrupt business operations, especially in sectors relying on Huawei hardware for communication, IoT, or mobile device management. Critical infrastructure, telecommunications, and enterprises using Huawei devices for internal communications or edge computing could experience service interruptions. Although confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, availability degradation can lead to operational downtime, affecting productivity and service delivery. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation risk but raises concerns for insider threats or compromised local environments. Organizations with Huawei device deployments should be aware that unpatched systems remain vulnerable to crashes or reboots triggered by this flaw, potentially impacting user experience and system reliability.

1. Monitor Huawei's official security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2026-24918 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Restrict local access to devices running affected HarmonyOS versions by enforcing strict access controls and limiting user permissions to trusted personnel only. 3. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection to prevent unauthorized local code execution that could exploit this vulnerability. 4. Conduct regular system stability and crash monitoring to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. For critical systems, consider network segmentation to isolate Huawei devices and reduce risk exposure. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local exploitation and the importance of maintaining updated software. 7. If patching is delayed, consider temporary mitigations such as disabling or restricting the vulnerable communication module if feasible without impacting essential functionality.