CVE-2026-101177 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2026
Permission control vulnerability in the Optimizer module. Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect service confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the Optimizer module, specifically manifesting as a permission control vulnerability that undermines the integrity of access management protocols. This type of defect typically arises when an application fails to properly enforce authorization checks before processing user requests or exposing sensitive data structures. In this specific instance, the lack of rigorous validation allows unauthorized entities to bypass intended restrictions, thereby gaining access to resources or functionalities that should be restricted based on their assigned roles or privileges. The core technical issue lies in the failure of the server-side logic to verify whether the authenticated user possesses the necessary permissions for the requested operation within the optimizer component, leading to a breakdown in the principle of least privilege which is fundamental to secure system architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on the compromise of service confidentiality. By exploiting this permission control weakness, an attacker can retrieve sensitive information that was not intended for their access level. This could include proprietary algorithms, configuration details, user data, or internal state variables managed by the optimizer module. The exposure of such data erodes trust in the system and may lead to significant business consequences depending on the nature of the confidential information accessed. Since the vulnerability affects confidentiality rather than integrity or availability, the primary risk is unauthorized disclosure rather than service disruption or data corruption, although secondary impacts could arise if the disclosed information aids further attacks against other parts of the infrastructure.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Control, indicating that the software does not properly assign privileges to actors based on their authorization levels. Furthermore, in terms of adversary behavior mapping according to MITRE ATT&CK, this flaw facilitates techniques associated with Accessing Remote Services or potentially Credential Access if sensitive credentials are exposed through the optimizer module. The vulnerability represents a critical gap in the application's security posture, as it allows lateral movement within the system once initial access is gained, enabling attackers to pivot from low-privilege accounts to high-privilege contexts by exploiting misconfigured permissions in core modules like the Optimizer.
To mitigate this risk, immediate remediation efforts should focus on implementing robust authorization checks at every entry point of the Optimizer module's API or interface. Developers must ensure that all requests are validated against a centralized access control policy before any processing occurs, verifying both user identity and specific role-based permissions for each action. It is also recommended to adopt a deny-by-default approach where only explicitly permitted actions are allowed rather than relying on allow-lists which may have gaps. Additionally, comprehensive logging of authorization failures should be enabled to detect potential exploitation attempts in real-time, allowing security teams to respond promptly. Regular code reviews and static application security testing focused on access control logic will help prevent similar defects from being introduced into the system during future development cycles.