CVE-2026-41981 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2026
Out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the IPC module. Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2026
An out-of-bounds write vulnerability within the inter-process communication module represents a critical security flaw that can severely compromise system availability and potentially enable broader exploitation vectors. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory buffers, typically in the context of IPC mechanisms that facilitate communication between different processes or threads. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the IPC subsystem, where the application fails to properly bounds-check data received from external sources or internal process communications. Such flaws are commonly classified under CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which is a fundamental memory safety issue that can lead to unpredictable behavior including crashes, data corruption, or potential code execution. The impact on availability manifests when exploitation causes system instability through process termination, memory corruption, or complete system crashes. In the context of ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, as exploitation can result in service disruption and denial of access to critical system resources. The technical implementation typically involves scenarios where IPC modules receive malformed data structures or oversized payloads that exceed buffer limits, leading to memory overwrite conditions that can corrupt adjacent memory regions including stack canaries, return addresses, or other critical process metadata. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can manipulate the flow of execution by overwriting memory locations with malicious data, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. The operational impact extends beyond simple availability degradation as the vulnerability can be leveraged in combination with other techniques to achieve persistent access or cause cascading failures across interconnected services. Organizations should implement comprehensive memory safety controls including stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap metadata protection to mitigate such vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security assessments of IPC mechanisms, strict input validation protocols, and adherence to secure coding practices are essential defensive measures. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of principle of least privilege and proper access controls within IPC environments, as exploitation often requires understanding of process communication patterns and timing conditions that can be addressed through proper system hardening and monitoring solutions.