CVE-2024-28044 in OpenHarmony
Summary
by MITRE • 09/02/2024
in OpenHarmony v4.1.0 and prior versions allow a local attacker cause crash through integer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-28044 affects OpenHarmony versions 4.1.0 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables local attackers to induce system crashes via integer overflow conditions. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the operating system's core components, specifically impacting the memory management and data processing routines that handle numerical operations. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes certain data structures that contain values exceeding the maximum representable range for the targeted integer types, leading to unexpected behavior and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves scenarios where integer variables receive inputs that exceed their defined maximum values, causing the arithmetic operations to wrap around and produce negative or unexpected results. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is classified as a fundamental weakness in the software's handling of numeric data types. When the integer overflow occurs during memory allocation calculations or buffer size determinations, it can lead to memory corruption and subsequent system crashes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in embedded systems and IoT environments where OpenHarmony is commonly deployed, as these systems often lack robust error handling mechanisms for such conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for devices running OpenHarmony, particularly those in industrial control systems, smart home appliances, and automotive applications where system reliability is paramount. Local attackers with access to the device can exploit this flaw to cause denial of service conditions, potentially disrupting critical functions or creating security boundaries that could be leveraged for further attacks. The crash conditions can be triggered through malformed inputs in system calls, file processing operations, or network protocol handling, making the attack surface quite broad across various device functionalities. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and integrity of the operating system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-28044 should prioritize immediate patch deployment for all affected OpenHarmony installations, with particular attention to devices in high-risk environments such as industrial control systems or automotive applications. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual crash patterns or memory allocation errors that could indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process involves strengthening input validation mechanisms, implementing proper integer overflow checks, and ensuring that all arithmetic operations include bounds checking before processing. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and other exploit mitigation techniques aligned with the ATT&CK framework's defense-in-depth principles. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the system's codebase, particularly focusing on integer handling routines and memory management functions. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices that align with industry standards such as the CERT C Secure Coding Standard, specifically addressing the prevention of integer overflows in critical system components.