CVE-2025-46014 in PC Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/30/2025
Several services in Honor Device Co., Ltd Honor PC Manager v16.0.0.118 was discovered to connect services to the named pipe iMateBookAssistant with default or overly permissive security attributes, leading to a privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-46014 affects Honor Device Co., Ltd Honor PC Manager version 16.0.0.118 where multiple services establish connections to a named pipe called iMateBookAssistant. This named pipe exhibits default or overly permissive security attributes that create a significant security risk. The issue stems from improper access control configuration within the Windows named pipe security model, which allows unauthorized local users to interact with the service endpoint. The vulnerability represents a classic privilege escalation vector where local adversaries can exploit the weak security settings to elevate their privileges on the affected system. This type of flaw commonly occurs when developers fail to properly configure security descriptors for inter-process communication mechanisms, leaving system resources accessible to users who should not have access.
The technical flaw manifests through the named pipe iMateBookAssistant which is designed to facilitate communication between various components of the Honor PC Manager application. When services connect to this named pipe with insufficient security attributes, they create an attack surface that allows local users to impersonate legitimate processes or gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the Windows security model's named pipe implementation, where the default security descriptor may grant unnecessary access rights to the pipe. This misconfiguration enables attackers to perform privilege escalation attacks by leveraging the named pipe's accessibility. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-276, which addresses improper permissions for critical resources, and CWE-732, which covers incorrect permissions for critical resources. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through exploitation of system services.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-46014 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full system compromise. An attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, which could then be leveraged to install malicious software, modify system files, or access sensitive data. The vulnerability affects systems running the specific version of Honor PC Manager, creating a persistent threat vector for local adversaries who may already have access to the system. Attackers could use this privilege escalation to establish persistence mechanisms, escalate their access further to domain-level privileges, or conduct more sophisticated attacks. The impact is particularly concerning because the vulnerability exists within a legitimate system management application, making it less likely to raise immediate suspicion among security monitoring systems. Organizations using this software are at risk of unauthorized privilege elevation, potentially allowing attackers to bypass standard access controls and security measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-46014 should focus on correcting the named pipe security configuration and implementing proper access controls. System administrators should immediately update to the latest version of Honor PC Manager where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper security descriptor configuration. The recommended approach involves setting appropriate security descriptors on the named pipe to restrict access to only authorized processes and users. Organizations should conduct security audits to identify all named pipes with overly permissive settings and ensure they follow the principle of least privilege. Additionally, implementing proper application whitelisting and monitoring for unauthorized named pipe access can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments should include verification of named pipe security configurations, particularly in system management and utility applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security configuration management and the need for developers to follow secure coding practices when implementing inter-process communication mechanisms. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and alerting for named pipe access patterns that deviate from normal operational behavior.