CVE-2021-22326 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE • 07/01/2021
There is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment Vulnerability in Huawei Smartphone. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect service confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-22326 represents an incorrect privilege assignment flaw within Huawei smartphone implementations that fundamentally undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This weakness allows unauthorized entities to potentially escalate their privileges and gain access to services that should remain restricted, creating a significant security risk for mobile device users. The vulnerability resides in the smartphone's privilege management system, where proper access controls fail to enforce the principle of least privilege, enabling malicious actors to bypass intended security boundaries.
This technical flaw specifically impacts Huawei smartphone models and operates at the operating system level where privilege assignment mechanisms are incorrectly configured. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious applications or system-level manipulations that leverage the improper privilege assignment to access confidential services. According to CWE classification, this corresponds to CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, which addresses situations where the system fails to properly enforce access control policies. The flaw essentially allows attackers to elevate their privileges beyond what is intended, potentially gaining access to sensitive system components, user data, or confidential services that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it compromises the fundamental security architecture of the affected Huawei smartphones. Users may experience unauthorized access to their personal information, communication data, and other confidential services that are typically protected by proper privilege controls. The vulnerability affects service confidentiality by creating pathways through which attackers can access services that should be restricted to authorized users only, potentially leading to data breaches, privacy violations, and unauthorized system modifications. This weakness is particularly concerning in mobile environments where smartphones handle sensitive personal and business information, making the privilege escalation possible through this vulnerability especially dangerous.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-22326 should focus on immediate firmware updates from Huawei to address the privilege assignment flaw, along with comprehensive security assessments of affected devices. Organizations should implement strict access control policies and regularly audit privilege assignments to prevent unauthorized escalation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation tactic. Security teams should also consider network monitoring to detect unusual privilege access patterns and implement device management policies that enforce proper privilege controls. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of keeping their devices updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.