CVE-2020-9119 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A privilege escalation vulnerability affecting certain Huawei smartphones due to design flaws.

Understanding CVE-2020-9119

What is CVE-2020-9119?

CVE-2020-9119 is a privilege escalation vulnerability found in Huawei smartphones, allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges by physically accessing the device.

The Impact of CVE-2020-9119

The vulnerability enables attackers to execute commands with higher privileges, potentially compromising user data and device security.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-9119

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from design defects in Huawei smartphones, requiring physical contact to exploit and execute commands for privilege escalation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Products: HUAWEI Mate 10, HUAWEI Mate 30, HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro, HUAWEI P40, HUAWEI P40 Pro
Vulnerable Versions:
Versions earlier than 10.0.0.189(C185E6R1P3)
Versions earlier than 10.1.0.156(C00E155R7P2)
Versions earlier than 10.1.0.156(C00E156R7P2)
Versions earlier than 10.1.0.150(SP1C00E150R4P1)

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker must physically access the Huawei smartphone to exploit the vulnerability, allowing them to execute commands and elevate privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Huawei promptly.
Avoid physical access to the device by unauthorized individuals.
Monitor device behavior for any suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the device's software and firmware.
Implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the affected Huawei smartphones are updated with the latest security patches to mitigate the privilege escalation vulnerability.