CVE-2021-37014 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE • 12/07/2021
There is a Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in Huawei Smartphone.Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may lead to device cannot be used properly.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-37014 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw discovered in Huawei smartphone firmware implementations. This security weakness resides within the mobile device's operating system components and specifically affects the handling of data structures during runtime execution. The buffer overflow occurs when the system fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data into fixed-size memory buffers allocated on the stack. Such improper boundary checking creates an exploitable condition where maliciously crafted input can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting the program's execution flow and compromising system integrity.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability manifests when the smartphone's firmware processes untrusted input data through functions that utilize stack-based buffers without adequate length validation. The flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite stack memory. The attack vector typically involves sending specially crafted data packets or commands to the affected smartphone's communication protocols, system services, or application interfaces that process this data without proper sanitization mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device malfunction, potentially enabling attackers to gain unauthorized control over affected Huawei smartphones. Successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing threat actors to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, install malicious applications, or establish persistent backdoors on the affected devices. The device's inability to function properly mentioned in the description represents a direct consequence of memory corruption that can manifest as system crashes, unexpected reboots, or complete device lockouts that render the smartphone unusable for legitimate users.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate firmware updates from Huawei that address the buffer overflow condition through proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while endpoint protection mechanisms should be enhanced to prevent execution of malicious code in memory segments. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security assessments of smartphone firmware components and implementation of runtime application self-protection measures that can detect and prevent buffer overflow attacks. Organizations deploying Huawei smartphones in enterprise environments should conduct thorough vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to maintain device security posture. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where attackers might leverage the compromised device to execute malicious commands, and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, which involves using vulnerabilities to execute code on target systems.