CVE-2020-9081
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThere is an improper authorization vulnerability in some Huawei smartphones. An attacker could perform a series of operation in specific mode to exploit this vulnerability. Successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass app lock. (Vulnerability ID: HWPSIRT-2019-12144) This vulnerability has been assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) ID: CVE-2020-9081.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is an improper authorization vulnerability in certain Huawei smartphones where an attacker can bypass the app lock feature by performing a series of operations in a specific device mode. The vulnerability allows unauthorized access to locked applications without proper authentication credentials.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r3p8\)< 10.1.0.160\(c01e160r2p8\)< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r2p11\)< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r2p8\)< 10.1.0.160\(c01e160r2p8\)< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r2p11\)< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r8p12\)< 10.1.0.88\(c00e88r8p1\)< 10.1.0.160\(c00e160r8p12\)CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the device modelGo to Settings > About Phone > Model Name to confirm the exact Huawei device model (e.g., Mate 20, P30, P30 Pro, Princeton Al10d, Yale Al00a, Yale Al50a, Yalep Al10b)Affected if The device model is not one of the seven affected models listed in the CVE
-
Determine the firmware versionNavigate to Settings > About Phone > Version. Locate the build number or firmware version string (typically displayed as something like 10.1.0.xxx followed by a parenthesized build identifier such as c00e160r2p8)Affected if Unable to retrieve or locate the firmware version information
-
Compare against affected version rangesCross-reference the installed firmware build number (the c00e/c01e number and the r#p# suffix) against the specific version thresholds for your device model. For Mate 20: versions below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r3p8) or 10.1.0.160(c01e160r2p8). For P30: below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r2p11). For P30 Pro: below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r2p8) or 10.1.0.160(c01e160r2p8). For Princeton Al10d: below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r2p11). For Yale Al00a: below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r8p12). For Yale Al50a: below 10.1.0.88(c00e88r8p1). For Yalep Al10b: below 10.1.0.160(c00e160r8p12)Affected if The installed firmware version falls below the specified threshold for that exact model and build variant
-
Verify app lock feature configurationCheck if App Lock is enabled by going to Settings > Security > App Lock or Settings > Apps > App Lock (path varies by EMUI version). Confirm whether any applications are configured to require app lock authenticationAffected if App lock is not configured or no applications are protected by app lock (the vulnerability only affects environments where app lock is in use)
The device is affected only if it is one of the seven listed Huawei models, runs firmware below the specified version threshold for its exact build variant, and has app lock enabled with protected applications.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped10.1.0.8810.1.0.160
Apply vendor-supplied security patches for affected Huawei smartphones; ensure device firmware is updated to the latest version available from Huawei.
Firmware 10.1.0.160 (specific build variants: c00e160r3p8, c01e160r2p8, c00e160r2p11, c00e160r2p8, c00e160r8p12, c00e88r8p1 depending on device model)
- Identify your specific Huawei device model from the affected list (Mate 20, P30, P30 Pro, Princeton Al10d, Yale Al00a, Yale Al50a, Yalep Al10b)
- Navigate to Huawei's official support website or use the HiCare app on your device
- Locate the firmware update section for your specific device model
- Check your current firmware version in Settings > System > Software update (or Settings > About Phone)
- Download and install the firmware version 10.1.0.160 or higher that corresponds to your device's specific build variant (c00e160rXxPxx or c01e160rXxPxx)
- Ensure the device is connected to Wi-Fi and has sufficient battery (at least 50%) before initiating the update
- After the update completes, verify the new firmware version matches or exceeds the fixed version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9081 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-9081 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data