CVE-2025-48911 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2025
Vulnerability of improper permission assignment in the note sharing module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2025
This vulnerability resides within the note sharing module of a software application where improper permission assignment has been identified, creating a significant security risk that impacts system availability. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions when sharing or accessing notes, potentially allowing unauthorized users to manipulate or disrupt the sharing functionality. This misconfiguration enables attackers to exploit the system's permission model in ways that were not intended by the developers, creating opportunities for service disruption and potential data integrity issues.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the authorization logic that governs note sharing operations. When users attempt to share notes or access shared content, the system does not properly enforce the principle of least privilege, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal permission checks. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to either gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or to disrupt the sharing service itself, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. The flaw likely exists in the backend permission validation routines where access control lists or role-based access controls are either improperly configured or completely absent during note sharing operations.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass broader availability concerns that can severely affect system reliability and user productivity. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause legitimate users to lose access to shared notes, disrupt collaborative workflows, or even render the entire note sharing module inoperative. The availability impact suggests that attackers may be able to cause system instability through carefully crafted permission manipulation attempts, potentially leading to cascading failures that affect other system components. This type of vulnerability directly violates the availability component of the CIA triad and can be classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with several tactics and techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and denial of service. An attacker could leverage this weakness to escalate privileges within the sharing module or to disrupt service availability by manipulating the permission assignments. The vulnerability may also facilitate lateral movement within the system if the note sharing module is integrated with other services that rely on similar permission models. Security professionals should consider this weakness when conducting risk assessments for collaborative applications and note-taking systems, as it represents a critical gap in access control implementation that can have far-reaching consequences.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust access control mechanisms that properly validate user permissions before allowing note sharing operations. Organizations should enforce strict role-based access controls and ensure that all permission assignments are properly validated through multiple layers of authorization checks. The implementation of proper input validation and access control auditing can help detect and prevent unauthorized permission modifications. Additionally, regular security testing including penetration testing and code reviews focused on authorization logic should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the system. The fix should involve comprehensive revalidation of all sharing operations and implementation of proper access control enforcement that prevents unauthorized modifications to permission assignments.