CVE-2023-39403
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 · uneditedParameter verification vulnerability in the installd module. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may cause sandbox files to be read and written without authorization.
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 confidenceA parameter verification vulnerability exists in the installd module that allows unauthorized read and write operations on sandbox files. The flaw appears to stem from insufficient validation of parameters before file operations, enabling an attacker to bypass access controls.
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= 11.0.1= 12.0.0= 12.0.1= 13.0.0= 2.0.0= 2.0.1= 2.1.0= 3.0.0= 3.1.0CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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.
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Check the installed EMUI versionOn the device, go to Settings > About Phone > Version. Alternatively, run 'getprop ro.build.version.emui' via ADB shell.Affected if The version listed is 11.0.1, 12.0.0, 12.0.1, or 13.0.0.
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Check the installed HarmonyOS versionOn the device, go to Settings > About Phone > Version. Alternatively, run 'getprop ro.build.version.huawei' or 'getprop ro.build.version.sdk' via ADB shell.Affected if The version listed is 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 3.0.0, or 3.1.0.
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Verify the installd module is presentCheck for the installd daemon or service. Run 'ps -A | grep installd' or look for /system/bin/installd via ADB shell.Affected if The installd process or binary exists and is running on the device.
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Inspect sandbox file access controlsAttempt to enumerate sandbox directories (typically under /data/data or /data/user) and check if unauthorized access to sandboxed app data is possible. Use 'ls -la /data/data/' via ADB shell with root access to see permissions.Affected if Files in sandbox directories are accessible or modifiable without proper app-level validation, indicating the parameter verification flaw may be exploitable.
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Review system logs for installd parameter validation eventsRun 'logcat -d | grep installd' or check /var/log/messages for logs related to the installd module, focusing on file operation parameters.Affected if Logs show missing or insufficient parameter validation during sandbox file operations, or repeated access attempts that bypass standard checks.
A device is affected if it runs any of the listed EMUI or HarmonyOS versions AND has the installd module present, with the vulnerability manifest through improper sandbox file access or missing parameter validation in file operations.
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.
From vendor dataApply the vendor patch for CVE-2023-39403 which addresses parameter validation in the installd module. If no patch is available, implement strict parameter verification and access control checks before any sandbox file operations.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-39403 — 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-2023-39403 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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