CVE-2024-56451 Overview
CVE-2024-56451 is an integer overflow vulnerability in the 3D engine module of Huawei HarmonyOS. The flaw occurs during glTF (GL Transmission Format) model loading and can be triggered by a local attacker with low privileges. Successful exploitation affects device availability, causing the affected component or process to crash. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) and CWE-680 (Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow). Huawei documented the issue in its January 2025 security bulletin.
Critical Impact
A local, low-privileged attacker can trigger a denial-of-service condition in the HarmonyOS 3D engine by supplying a crafted glTF model.
Affected Products
- Huawei HarmonyOS 5.0.0
- HarmonyOS 3D engine module (glTF model loader)
- Applications on HarmonyOS that invoke the 3D engine for glTF rendering
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-08 - CVE-2024-56451 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- January 2025 - Huawei publishes advisory in the Huawei Support Bulletin
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-56451
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the HarmonyOS 3D engine module responsible for parsing and loading glTF assets. glTF is a JSON-based transmission format for 3D scenes and models that references binary buffers describing geometry, animations, and textures. During parsing, size and offset fields from the model file are used in arithmetic operations that compute buffer allocations and index positions. When these values exceed the maximum representable integer, the computation wraps around and produces a smaller-than-expected value.
The resulting undersized allocation or incorrect index is then used to access memory, corrupting internal engine state or dereferencing invalid pointers. The process handling the glTF asset crashes, producing a denial-of-service condition on the affected device.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing validation of untrusted length, count, and offset fields parsed from glTF model input. Arithmetic on these attacker-controlled values overflows fixed-width integer types before bounds checks are applied, matching the pattern described by CWE-190 and its buffer-overflow consequence variant CWE-680.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious glTF file to an application that hands the model to the HarmonyOS 3D engine for loading. When the engine parses the crafted metadata, the integer overflow triggers and the process terminates, disrupting the 3D rendering service or the hosting application.
No public proof-of-concept or exploit code has been released, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-56451
Indicators of Compromise
- Repeated crashes of processes or applications that invoke the HarmonyOS 3D engine to render glTF assets
- Presence of unexpected .gltf or .glb files in application sandboxes or shared storage locations
- Application error logs referencing the 3D engine module immediately after loading a model asset
Detection Strategies
- Monitor HarmonyOS crash reports and tombstone logs for faults originating in the 3D engine module during model load operations
- Inspect glTF and GLB files for anomalous buffer, accessor, or bufferView length fields that approach 32-bit integer limits
- Correlate application crash telemetry with recent file writes of 3D model assets to identify targeted delivery attempts
Monitoring Recommendations
- Collect and centralize mobile crash telemetry from HarmonyOS 5.0.0 devices for review against the January 2025 Huawei bulletin
- Alert on installation of applications that request access to 3D rendering APIs from untrusted sources
- Track patch state of managed HarmonyOS devices to confirm receipt of the January 2025 security update
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56451
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the HarmonyOS security update referenced in the Huawei January 2025 Support Bulletin to all affected devices
- Restrict installation of applications that load 3D model files from untrusted sources or unsigned publishers
- Audit enterprise applications that consume glTF or GLB assets and confirm they validate model files before rendering
Patch Information
Huawei addressed CVE-2024-56451 in the January 2025 HarmonyOS security update. Administrators and users should install the update via the standard HarmonyOS update channel. Full advisory details are available in the Huawei Support Bulletin.
Workarounds
- Avoid opening glTF or GLB model files from untrusted senders, messaging apps, or web downloads until the patch is applied
- Disable or uninstall non-essential applications that render 3D models on unpatched HarmonyOS 5.0.0 devices
- Enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that block sideloading of applications and restrict file sharing on affected devices
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
