CVE-2021-22450

Local memory exhaustion via incomplete cleanup

Published Oct 28, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Incomplete cleanup in a HarmonyOS component in Huawei HarmonyOS 2.0 allows local users to cause memory exhaustion via local activity. Huawei attributes the defect to exceptions during memory freeing that leave allocations unreleased, progressively consuming system memory. Exploitation requires local access and can exhaust resources until the device restarts; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incomplete cleanup in a HarmonyOS component in Huawei HarmonyOS 2.0 allows local users to cause memory exhaustion via local activity. Huawei attributes the defect to exceptions during memory freeing that leave allocations unreleased, progressively consuming system memory. Exploitation requires local access and can exhaust resources until the device restarts; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-22450
Published
Oct 28, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Product
HarmonyOS
Classifications
CWE-459, T1496
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 28, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. · HarmonyOSversion=2.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.9NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-459Incomplete Cleanup
T1496Resource Hijacking

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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