CVE-2025-68957 Overview
CVE-2025-68957 is a multi-thread race condition vulnerability discovered in the card framework module of Huawei HarmonyOS. This vulnerability exists due to improper synchronization between concurrent threads accessing shared resources within the card framework, which can lead to system instability and denial of service conditions.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause availability issues on affected HarmonyOS devices, potentially resulting in system crashes or unresponsive behavior.
Affected Products
- Huawei HarmonyOS 6.0.0
- Huawei HarmonyOS devices (smartphones, tablets)
- Huawei HarmonyOS laptops and wearables
Discovery Timeline
- January 14, 2026 - CVE-2025-68957 published to NVD
- January 15, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-68957
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization), commonly known as a race condition. The flaw exists within the card framework module of HarmonyOS, which manages card-based UI components and their lifecycle across the operating system.
Race conditions occur when the behavior of software depends on the sequence or timing of uncontrollable events. In this case, multiple threads within the card framework module can simultaneously access and modify shared resources without proper locking mechanisms or synchronization primitives in place.
The vulnerability requires local access to exploit, meaning an attacker would need to execute code on the target device. Additionally, the exploitation complexity is high, as successfully triggering the race condition requires precise timing to manipulate thread execution order.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-68957 lies in the absence of proper thread synchronization mechanisms within the card framework module. When multiple threads attempt to read from or write to shared data structures concurrently, the lack of mutual exclusion primitives (such as mutexes, semaphores, or other locking mechanisms) allows for time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) conditions.
This improper handling of concurrent operations can result in inconsistent state, corrupted data structures, or null pointer dereferences when one thread modifies resources that another thread is actively using.
Attack Vector
The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring an attacker to have existing access to the affected HarmonyOS device. Exploitation involves crafting a malicious application or exploiting an existing application to trigger rapid, concurrent operations within the card framework module.
An attacker with low privileges on the system could potentially trigger this race condition by:
- Creating multiple threads that simultaneously invoke card framework operations
- Timing the thread execution to create a window where shared resources are in an inconsistent state
- Causing the system to crash or become unresponsive when the race condition is triggered
The vulnerability primarily impacts availability, with no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity of data.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68957
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected system crashes or reboots on HarmonyOS devices, particularly when using card-based UI components
- Application Not Responding (ANR) errors related to the card framework module
- Abnormal CPU utilization spikes coinciding with card framework operations
- System logs showing concurrent access violations or thread synchronization errors
Detection Strategies
- Monitor HarmonyOS system logs for race condition-related error messages in the card framework module
- Implement application behavior analysis to detect unusual threading patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts
- Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can identify rapid, concurrent system calls to card framework APIs
- Analyze crash dumps for evidence of TOCTOU vulnerabilities or corrupted data structures
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for the card framework module to capture thread synchronization events
- Implement real-time monitoring of system stability metrics on HarmonyOS devices
- Configure alerts for repeated application crashes or system instability patterns
- Monitor for newly installed applications that exhibit suspicious multi-threaded behavior
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68957
Immediate Actions Required
- Update all affected HarmonyOS devices to the latest security patch level available from Huawei
- Review and apply the January 2026 security bulletins from Huawei for all affected device types
- Restrict installation of applications from untrusted sources that could exploit this vulnerability
- Monitor device stability and report any suspicious crashes to security teams
Patch Information
Huawei has released security updates addressing this vulnerability in their January 2026 security bulletins. Organizations and users should apply the appropriate patches based on their device type:
- For smartphones and tablets: Huawei Security Bulletin 2026.1
- For laptops: Huawei Laptop Security Bulletin 2026.1
- For wearables: Huawei Wearables Security Bulletin 2026.1
Workarounds
- Limit the use of card-based widgets and UI components until patches can be applied
- Restrict application installation to trusted sources only (AppGallery) to reduce the risk of malicious exploitation
- Implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to control application behavior and threading operations
- Consider disabling or restricting third-party applications that heavily utilize card framework functionality until devices are patched
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
