CVE-2026-49305 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2026
Permission control vulnerability in the Wi-Fi enhancement module. Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may affect availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2026
The identified security issue resides within the Wi-Fi enhancement module, specifically concerning a deficiency in permission controls that governs access to critical system resources or configuration parameters. This type of flaw typically arises when an application fails to properly enforce authorization checks before allowing operations on sensitive data structures or hardware interfaces associated with wireless connectivity services. In many modern operating systems and embedded environments, the Wi-Fi stack operates with elevated privileges to manage network adapters, handle cryptographic key exchanges, and maintain connection states. When permission boundaries are not strictly enforced between untrusted user-space applications and these privileged system components, it creates a pathway for unauthorized entities to interact with internal functions that should remain isolated from general application access.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability likely involves an improper check of the caller's identity or privileges during function calls within the Wi-Fi enhancement layer. An attacker who has gained local execution capability on the device can leverage this flaw by invoking specific APIs or sending malformed requests to the module without possessing the necessary system-level permissions. The absence of rigorous validation allows these unauthorized operations to proceed, potentially leading to state corruption, configuration tampering, or resource exhaustion within the networking subsystem. Such flaws are frequently categorized under CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management or CWE-732 Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, as they represent a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege that is essential for maintaining system integrity.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting this vulnerability centers on availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. By manipulating the Wi-Fi enhancement module without proper authorization, an attacker can trigger conditions that cause the wireless interface to become unresponsive, crash, or enter a degraded state. This could manifest as repeated disconnections from access points, failure to establish new connections, or complete loss of network connectivity for devices relying on this specific hardware component. In critical infrastructure or IoT deployments where consistent network presence is vital, such availability disruptions can lead to significant operational downtime and service degradation. The impact aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1499 Endpoint Denial of Service, as the exploitation results in the disruption of normal system functionality through resource exhaustion or state manipulation rather than data theft or remote code execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require a multi-layered approach focusing on strict access control enforcement and robust input validation within the Wi-Fi stack. Developers must ensure that all entry points into the enhancement module verify the privileges of the calling process against a predefined security policy before executing sensitive operations. Implementing mandatory access controls, such as SELinux or AppArmor profiles tailored for network services, can provide an additional layer of defense by restricting interactions based on context rather than just user ID. Furthermore, conducting thorough code reviews to identify and patch permission bypasses in the networking subsystem is essential. For deployed systems, applying vendor-provided security patches that address these specific authorization flaws is the primary remediation step. Administrators should also monitor for unusual network behavior or frequent Wi-Fi interface resets as indicators of potential exploitation attempts while updates are being applied.