CVE-2025-53186 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/07/2025
Vulnerability that allows third-party call apps to send broadcasts without verification in the audio framework module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2025
This vulnerability exists within the audio framework module of a system where third-party call applications can transmit broadcasts without proper verification mechanisms. The flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the audio processing pipeline and creates potential attack vectors for malicious actors. The absence of broadcast verification allows unauthorized applications to manipulate audio system events and potentially disrupt normal operational procedures. This vulnerability specifically affects the audio framework's ability to maintain secure communication channels between system components and external applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the audio framework module. Third-party applications can exploit this weakness by sending crafted broadcast messages that bypass normal verification procedures typically enforced by the system. This design flaw creates a pathway for privilege escalation and unauthorized system manipulation through the audio subsystem. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, as it demonstrates inadequate authorization controls for audio framework components. From an attack perspective, this weakness enables adversaries to potentially disrupt audio services, inject malicious payloads, or manipulate audio routing decisions without proper system authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple availability concerns to encompass potential data integrity and system stability risks. When third-party applications can send unverified broadcasts, they may interfere with legitimate audio processing operations, leading to service disruptions, audio quality degradation, or complete system audio failure. The availability impact suggests that adversaries could potentially deny audio services to legitimate users, creating operational downtime and service interruption. This vulnerability could be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns targeting system reliability and user experience, particularly in environments where audio functionality is critical for operations. The attack surface expands when considering that multiple third-party applications could simultaneously exploit this weakness to amplify the impact.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust broadcast verification mechanisms within the audio framework module. System administrators should enforce strict application permission controls and ensure that only trusted applications can send audio-related broadcasts. The implementation of proper access control lists and authentication procedures for audio framework components would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Security patches should address the core verification gap by introducing mandatory broadcast validation procedures that authenticate sender credentials before processing audio events. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and application whitelisting policies to limit the scope of potential exploitation. Regular security assessments and monitoring of audio framework activities can help detect anomalous broadcast patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining secure by design principles in system components and demonstrates the necessity of comprehensive security testing for all framework modules, particularly those handling critical system services like audio processing.