CVE-2024-45448 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2024
Page table protection configuration vulnerability in the trusted firmware module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect service confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2025
This vulnerability resides within the trusted firmware module's page table protection configuration, representing a critical weakness in the system's memory management security controls. The flaw stems from improper initialization or configuration of memory protection mechanisms that govern how page tables are enforced in the secure execution environment. When the trusted firmware fails to correctly establish or maintain proper page table protection settings, it creates opportunities for unauthorized memory access patterns that can compromise the integrity of sensitive data processing operations. This vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security guarantees provided by the firmware layer, which serves as the cornerstone for secure system operations and isolation between different execution contexts.
The technical implementation of this flaw manifests through insufficient validation or enforcement of memory access permissions within the page table entries that control how virtual addresses map to physical memory locations. Attackers can potentially exploit this misconfiguration to manipulate memory protection boundaries, allowing them to access memory regions that should remain protected from unauthorized access. This weakness enables privilege escalation attacks where malicious actors can bypass the normal memory isolation mechanisms that separate secure and non-secure execution domains. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where memory management unit controls are configured, making it particularly dangerous as it affects the core memory protection infrastructure that underpins all secure operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data confidentiality breaches to encompass potential system-wide compromise scenarios. When service confidentiality is affected, it means that sensitive information processed within the trusted execution environment could be exposed to unauthorized parties who exploit the page table protection misconfiguration. This exposure could enable attackers to extract cryptographic keys, sensitive application data, or system configuration information that should remain protected. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when considering that trusted firmware modules typically handle critical security functions including secure boot processes, cryptographic operations, and memory isolation enforcement. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability that directly affects the security boundary enforcement mechanisms within the system's memory management subsystem.
Mitigation strategies should focus on comprehensive firmware updates that properly configure page table protection mechanisms and ensure that memory access controls are correctly enforced. System administrators must verify that the trusted firmware is running the latest secure versions that address this specific page table configuration issue. Additionally, implementing memory protection monitoring tools can help detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation approach should include thorough validation of memory management unit settings and verification that page table entries are correctly configured to maintain proper isolation between execution contexts. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime integrity checks that monitor for unauthorized modifications to page table configurations, as outlined in the attack techniques described under the ATT&CK framework for privilege escalation through memory manipulation. Regular security assessments of firmware components and memory management configurations are essential to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.