CVE-2025-48627: Google Android Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-48627 Overview

CVE-2025-48627 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Android operating system. The flaw resides in the startNextMatchingActivity method of ActivityTaskManagerService.java. A logic error in this code path allows an application to launch an activity from the background without holding the required permissions. Exploitation requires no user interaction and no additional execution privileges beyond those already held by a local application. The issue affects Android platform versions 13.0 and 14.0 and was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin dated December 1, 2025.

Critical Impact
A local application can escalate privileges by launching restricted activities from the background without user interaction, bypassing intended Android security boundaries.

Affected Products

Google Android 13.0
Google Android 14.0
Android framework component ActivityTaskManagerService

Discovery Timeline

2025-12-01 - Fix published in the Android Security Bulletin
2025-12-08 - CVE-2025-48627 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48627

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a business logic error in the Android Activity Task Manager. The startNextMatchingActivity API in ActivityTaskManagerService.java is intended to allow an activity to pass control to the next activity matching its original intent. The method contains a logic error that does not correctly validate whether the calling application is permitted to launch an activity while in the background. This gap allows a local, unprivileged application to trigger activity launches that Android's background activity launch restrictions were designed to prevent. The result is local escalation of privilege, categorized under [CWE-noinfo] pending further classification. The attack vector is local, complexity is low, and no user interaction is required.

Root Cause

The root cause is an improper access control decision inside startNextMatchingActivity. The method reuses the token and intent context of the originating activity when starting the next matching activity. It does not re-evaluate current background launch restrictions for the caller. An attacker-controlled application can therefore reach code paths that assume the caller is foreground-privileged. The patch is available in the AOSP commit referenced as Android Source Code Update.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a malicious application installed on the device with standard, low privileges. The application invokes startNextMatchingActivity under conditions that force the framework into the vulnerable code path. Because the framework fails to enforce background activity launch restrictions, the malicious app can display or interact with activities belonging to other contexts. This enables tapjacking style attacks, UI overlay abuse, and access to activities normally reachable only from a foreground context. See the Android Security Bulletin December 2025 for vendor guidance.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48627

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected foreground transitions initiated by background applications shortly after invoking startNextMatchingActivity.
Installed applications that call startNextMatchingActivity from non-foreground contexts, which is unusual in benign apps.
Logcat entries from ActivityTaskManager showing activity starts without a corresponding user-initiated launch.

Detection Strategies

Inspect installed APKs for calls to startNextMatchingActivity combined with background service or receiver entry points.
Correlate ActivityTaskManager events in Android system logs with the caller UID to identify background-originated activity launches.
Use mobile threat defense telemetry to flag applications performing unexpected activity launches while backgrounded.

Monitoring Recommendations

Aggregate Android device logs into a centralized data lake for behavioral analysis of activity launch patterns.
Monitor for privilege escalation indicators on enrolled mobile devices via your MDM or mobile threat defense platform.
Track the Android security patch level (ro.build.version.security_patch) across the fleet to identify devices below the December 1, 2025 patch level.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48627

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the December 2025 Android security patch level (2025-12-01) or later on all Android 13.0 and 14.0 devices.
Enforce a minimum patch level policy through mobile device management before allowing access to corporate resources.
Restrict sideloading and require applications to originate from vetted enterprise or public app stores.

Patch Information

Google addressed the flaw in the Android Security Bulletin December 2025. The framework fix is included in the AOSP commit d34ae40f870d4362a069940a035a4d58a536a231 in platform/frameworks/base. Device manufacturers integrate the fix into their vendor builds; verify that the device reports a security patch level of 2025-12-01 or later.

Workarounds

No official workaround exists. Restrict installation of untrusted applications until patched builds are deployed.
Enforce work-profile isolation to limit the blast radius of a compromised personal application on enterprise data.
Use conditional access policies to block unpatched devices from sensitive corporate services.

bash

# Verify the Android security patch level on a managed device
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
# Expected output on patched devices: 2025-12-01 or later