CVE-2021-37058 in Huawei
Summary
by MITRE • 12/07/2021
There is a Permissions,Privileges,and Access Controls vulnerability in Huawei Smartphone.Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may lead to the user's nickname is maliciously tampered with.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-37058 represents a critical permissions, privileges, and access controls weakness within Huawei smartphone implementations that directly impacts user identity management and data integrity. This flaw resides in the smartphone's operating system or associated applications that handle user nickname management, creating an avenue for unauthorized modification of user identifiers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should enforce proper access controls when users attempt to modify their nicknames within the device's ecosystem. According to CWE classification, this corresponds to CWE-284: Improper Access Control, which specifically addresses inadequate permissions and access restrictions that allow unauthorized entities to manipulate system resources. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly authenticate or authorize nickname modification requests, potentially allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness through various attack vectors including privilege escalation or direct manipulation of system components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging the improper access control mechanisms to bypass normal authentication procedures that should validate user identity before permitting nickname changes. Attackers may utilize techniques such as manipulating application programming interfaces, exploiting insecure direct object references, or exploiting insufficient input validation to inject malicious data into the nickname field. The attack surface expands when considering that many smartphone applications rely on user nicknames for identification purposes in social features, messaging systems, and account management interfaces. This creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate user identities within the device's ecosystem, potentially leading to confusion, impersonation attacks, or more sophisticated social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple nickname tampering as it represents a foundational security issue that could enable further attacks through compromised user identity management. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and credential access methods where attackers can manipulate user attributes to gain deeper system access or manipulate user trust relationships.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-37058 significantly affects user privacy and system integrity within Huawei smartphone environments, particularly in contexts where user nicknames serve as identifiers for social applications, messaging platforms, and account management systems. Users may experience unauthorized modification of their online personas, potentially leading to reputational damage or security implications when malicious actors exploit this weakness. The vulnerability creates persistent risks for mobile applications that depend on user nicknames for authentication, social interactions, or service personalization, as compromised nicknames could be used to impersonate legitimate users or bypass security controls. Organizations deploying Huawei smartphones may face increased risks of user data compromise, especially in enterprise environments where mobile device management systems rely on proper user identification. The vulnerability's persistence across device updates and application installations means that once exploited, the malicious nickname modifications can remain active until proper system remediation occurs. Additionally, this weakness may enable attackers to create persistent backdoors or maintain unauthorized access through manipulated user identity information that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-37058 require comprehensive implementation of proper access control mechanisms, including robust input validation, authentication checks, and authorization procedures for all nickname modification operations. Organizations should implement mandatory authentication for all nickname change requests and ensure that proper access controls are enforced through proper privilege management. Security patches and updates should be applied immediately to address the underlying access control weaknesses, with particular attention to validating all user inputs and implementing proper session management. System administrators should conduct regular security assessments to identify potential privilege escalation paths and ensure that user nickname management interfaces properly enforce access controls. The implementation of proper logging and monitoring mechanisms can help detect unauthorized nickname modifications and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for sensitive user identity management functions and establish proper incident response procedures to address potential nickname tampering events. Regular security training for developers and system administrators can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in future implementations by emphasizing proper access control design principles and secure coding practices.