CVE-2021-22394 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE • 02/25/2022
There is a buffer overflow vulnerability in smartphones. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause DoS of the apps during Multi-Screen Collaboration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2022
This buffer overflow vulnerability exists within smartphone firmware or operating system components that handle multi-screen collaboration functionality. The flaw manifests when the system processes data structures related to screen sharing or mirroring operations between devices, where insufficient input validation leads to memory corruption. The vulnerability specifically affects the way the device manages buffer boundaries during collaborative screen operations, allowing maliciously crafted input data to overwrite adjacent memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a critical security flaw that can be exploited through carefully constructed inputs during screen sharing sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service as it creates potential attack vectors for more sophisticated exploitation techniques. When multi-screen collaboration features are active, attackers can trigger the buffer overflow by sending malformed data packets or manipulating screen sharing parameters that exceed allocated buffer sizes. The resulting memory corruption can cause applications to crash unpredictably, leading to complete system instability during collaborative sessions. This vulnerability directly impacts the user experience by disrupting legitimate screen sharing operations and may potentially enable privilege escalation attacks if the overflow affects critical system components. According to the attack technique framework, this represents a code execution vector through memory corruption that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through exploitation of system vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate protection and long-term system hardening measures for affected smartphone platforms. Device manufacturers should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that enforce strict buffer size limits during multi-screen collaboration operations, utilizing techniques such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap metadata protection. Software updates should include proper bounds checking and memory management improvements to prevent the overflow conditions that enable exploitation. Network administrators and security teams should monitor for suspicious screen sharing activity that may indicate attempted exploitation, while also implementing network segmentation to limit the scope of potential attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper memory management in mobile operating systems, particularly for features that handle external data inputs. Organizations should prioritize patch management for affected devices and consider implementing additional runtime protections such as exploit prevention software and behavioral monitoring systems to detect anomalous screen sharing operations that may indicate exploitation attempts.