CVE-2026-25850 Overview
CVE-2026-25850 affects OpenHarmony v6.0 and prior versions. The vulnerability allows a local attacker with low privileges to cause an information leak. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-281] Improper Preservation of Permissions, where the operating system fails to maintain proper access controls on protected resources.
The issue requires local access and low privileges, with no user interaction needed. Successful exploitation results in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information from the affected device. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality but does not affect integrity or availability of the system.
Critical Impact
Local attackers with limited privileges can read sensitive data from OpenHarmony v6.0 devices through improper permission preservation, exposing confidential information stored on the device.
Affected Products
- OpenHarmony v6.0
- OpenHarmony versions prior to v6.0
- Devices and embedded systems running affected OpenHarmony builds
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-05-19 - CVE CVE-2026-25850 published to NVD
- 2026-05-19 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-25850
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in OpenHarmony v6.0 and earlier releases. It is classified as [CWE-281] Improper Preservation of Permissions, indicating the operating system does not consistently retain permissions assigned to a resource. This permission handling gap creates a path for local users to access data they should not be authorized to view.
OpenHarmony is an open-source operating system designed for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smart devices, and embedded platforms. When permission preservation fails, protected files or runtime objects become accessible to unprivileged processes. The attack requires the adversary to already possess local access to the device with at least low-level privileges.
The impact is limited to information disclosure. Integrity and availability of the system remain intact, but confidential data such as user information, system configuration, or application data may be exposed to the attacker.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper preservation of permissions on protected resources within OpenHarmony. When the system creates, modifies, or transitions resources, permission attributes are not maintained correctly. This breaks the security model that restricts low-privileged users from accessing sensitive data.
Attack Vector
An attacker must have local access to the affected OpenHarmony device with low-privilege user context. The attacker then accesses resources whose permissions have not been properly preserved, reading data that should be inaccessible to their privilege level. No user interaction is required, and the attack does not propagate over the network.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the OpenHarmony Security Disclosure for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25850
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected read access to protected files or system resources by low-privileged user accounts on OpenHarmony devices
- Application processes accessing data outside their declared permission scope
- Anomalous file access patterns in OpenHarmony system logs originating from unprivileged contexts
Detection Strategies
- Audit file and resource permissions on OpenHarmony devices to identify objects with weaker access controls than expected
- Monitor system call logs for read operations against sensitive paths by unauthorized user IDs
- Compare runtime permission states against declared manifest permissions for installed applications
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose audit logging on OpenHarmony devices for access to system directories and user data partitions
- Correlate process privilege levels with accessed resources to surface privilege boundary violations
- Track installation and execution of unsigned or untrusted applications on managed OpenHarmony fleets
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25850
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all OpenHarmony devices in your environment and identify those running v6.0 or earlier
- Restrict installation of untrusted third-party applications that could be used to exploit local information disclosure
- Limit physical and local shell access to OpenHarmony devices to authorized personnel only
- Review the OpenHarmony Security Disclosure for vendor-issued remediation guidance
Patch Information
Consult the OpenHarmony Security Disclosure for the official patch and updated version information. Apply the vendor-supplied fix to all affected devices as soon as it is available through your device management or update channel.
Workarounds
- Enforce strict application allowlisting to prevent untrusted local code from running on OpenHarmony devices
- Apply additional file system permission hardening on sensitive data directories where feasible
- Disable or restrict local user accounts that are not required for device operation
# Configuration example
# Review the OpenHarmony Security Disclosure for vendor-supplied configuration guidance
# https://gitcode.com/openharmony/security/tree/master/zh/security-disclosure/2026/2026-05.md
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
