CVE-2024-32989 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2024
Insufficient verification vulnerability in the system sharing pop-up module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-32989 represents a critical insufficient verification flaw within a system sharing pop-up module that fundamentally compromises the availability of affected systems. This weakness resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern user interactions with shared resources, creating a pathway for malicious actors to disrupt normal operational procedures. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and verification processes that fail to properly authenticate user requests before granting access to shared modules or resources. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, making it a direct descendant of weak authorization mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to manipulate system resources. The security implications extend beyond simple access violations as the flaw specifically targets the pop-up module interface where users typically initiate sharing operations, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited to overwhelm system resources or deny legitimate users access to critical functionality.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker bypasses the intended verification procedures that should validate user credentials and permissions before allowing access to shared resources through the pop-up interface. This allows unauthorized individuals to manipulate the sharing module in ways that can lead to resource exhaustion, denial of service conditions, or complete system unavailability. The flaw particularly affects systems where the pop-up module serves as a gateway for resource sharing operations, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt business operations. The vulnerability can be leveraged to perform resource exhaustion attacks by repeatedly triggering the pop-up module with malformed requests or by exploiting the lack of proper rate limiting and access controls. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a cascading effect where legitimate users experience service degradation or complete loss of access to shared resources, directly impacting business continuity and user productivity.
The impact on system availability manifests through multiple operational failure modes that can be categorized under the ATT&CK framework's T1499 technique for network denial of service. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to flood the system with unauthorized sharing requests, causing legitimate requests to fail or timeout, effectively rendering the sharing functionality unavailable. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where attackers can manipulate the pop-up module to gain elevated access rights, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations utilizing affected systems face significant risk of operational disruption, as the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring advanced technical skills or extensive reconnaissance. The attack surface is particularly concerning because pop-up modules are typically designed to be accessible and user-friendly, making them attractive targets for exploitation. Security teams must consider that this vulnerability could be combined with other weaknesses to create more severe impact scenarios, including the potential for lateral movement within networks where shared resources are accessed through the compromised pop-up interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-32989 should prioritize immediate implementation of enhanced input validation and access control measures within the affected pop-up module. Organizations must implement proper authentication verification procedures that ensure all user requests are properly validated before any sharing operations are initiated. The recommended approach includes deploying rate limiting mechanisms to prevent abuse of the sharing interface, implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring of all sharing module interactions, and establishing proper access controls that enforce the principle of least privilege. Security patches should address the core verification flaw by strengthening the authentication process and ensuring that all user interactions with the pop-up module are properly authenticated and authorized. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other modules that might be susceptible to similar verification weaknesses, particularly those that handle user-initiated resource sharing operations. The implementation of web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that the implemented controls remain effective against evolving attack techniques that might target similar verification vulnerabilities.