CVE-2020-1840 in Mate 20
Summary
by MITRE
HUAWEI Mate 20 smart phones with versions earlier than 10.0.0.175(C00E70R3P8) have an insufficient authentication vulnerability. A local attacker with high privilege can execute a specific command to exploit this vulnerability. Successful exploitation may cause information leak and compromise the availability of the smart phones.Affected product versions include: HUAWEI Mate 20 versions Versions earlier than 10.0.0.175(C00E70R3P8)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-1840 represents a critical authentication flaw within Huawei Mate 20 smartphones running firmware versions prior to 10.0.0.175(C00E70R3P8). This weakness stems from inadequate verification mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate high-privileged local attackers who can leverage specific command execution capabilities to exploit the system. The vulnerability resides in the device's operating system authentication framework, where insufficient validation procedures allow unauthorized access to system resources that should remain protected. This represents a significant security gap that undermines the fundamental security model of the mobile platform, particularly concerning privilege escalation and access control enforcement.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows a local attacker with elevated privileges to execute targeted commands that bypass normal authentication protocols. This flaw operates at the system level where the authentication mechanisms fail to properly validate the legitimacy of privileged operations, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to sensitive system functions. The exploitation process typically involves leveraging existing high-privilege processes or user accounts to execute malicious commands that can manipulate core system components. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and demonstrates how inadequate access control can lead to complete system compromise. The attack vector specifically targets the device's local execution environment where the attacker can leverage existing system privileges to escalate their access level.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-1840 extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system availability compromise and data leakage. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to confidential user data, including personal information, communications, and application data stored on the device. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat where an attacker can maintain access to the compromised system and potentially use it as a foothold for further attacks within network environments. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the device's integrity and confidentiality, as the attacker can manipulate system processes and potentially install malicious software. The availability aspect of the compromise means that the device may become unstable or unusable as the attacker can potentially disrupt critical system services or corrupt essential components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-1840 should prioritize immediate firmware updates to the affected Huawei Mate 20 devices, specifically targeting the 10.0.0.175(C00E70R3P8) version or later releases that contain patched authentication mechanisms. System administrators and users should implement comprehensive device management policies that enforce automatic security updates and monitor for unauthorized access attempts. Network segmentation and endpoint protection measures can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management and access control enforcement, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of mobile device management systems and implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous command execution patterns. Hardware-based security features such as secure boot and trusted execution environments should be enabled where available to provide additional protection against low-level system exploitation.