CVE-2022-42488 in OpenHarmony
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2022
OpenHarmony-v3.1.2 and prior versions have a Missing permission validation vulnerability in param service of startup subsystem. An malicious application installed on the device could elevate its privileges to the root user, disable security features, or cause DoS by disabling particular services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-42488 resides within the OpenHarmony operating system version 3.1.2 and earlier, specifically affecting the parameter service component within the startup subsystem. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental access control mechanisms designed to protect system integrity and user privacy. The issue manifests as a missing permission validation check that allows unauthorized applications to exploit a privilege escalation vector, potentially compromising the entire device security posture.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within the parameter service module during the system startup process. When applications attempt to interact with system parameters through this service, the absence of proper permission verification means that malicious software can bypass normal security boundaries. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control scenarios where insufficient checks allow unauthorized entities to gain elevated privileges. The flaw operates at the subsystem level where the operating system initializes and manages core services, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the very foundation of system security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass comprehensive system compromise capabilities. A malicious application that successfully exploits this vulnerability can elevate its privileges to root level, effectively granting it complete control over the device. This elevated access enables attackers to disable critical security features, modify system configurations, and potentially render the device unusable through targeted service disruption. The DoS capability represents a significant threat as adversaries can selectively disable essential services, creating a denial of service condition that affects device functionality and user access to critical applications.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through exploitation of weak access controls and defense evasion by disabling security features. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability exists within the startup subsystem, meaning that even after device reboot, the compromised state can persist until the system is properly patched and rebooted. The exploitability of this issue increases significantly when considering that the affected OpenHarmony versions are widely deployed across various IoT and embedded devices, creating a substantial attack surface for threat actors targeting these platforms.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected OpenHarmony versions, implementing proper access control enforcement in parameter service modules, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all subsystems that handle system-level parameters. Organizations should also implement runtime monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and establish robust patch management processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future releases. The fix should include mandatory permission validation checks that verify application identity and required privileges before allowing parameter modifications, ensuring that only authorized system components can interact with critical parameter services.