CVE-2025-48641: Google Android Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-48641 Overview

CVE-2025-48641 is a use after free vulnerability affecting multiple functions in Android's NFC component (Nfc.h). The flaw arises from a race condition that can be exploited to achieve local escalation of privilege. Notably, exploitation requires no additional execution privileges and does not require user interaction, making it a significant security concern for affected Android devices.

Critical Impact

Local privilege escalation via use after free in Android NFC subsystem allows attackers to gain elevated privileges without user interaction.

Affected Products

• Google Android 14.0
• Google Android 15.0
• Google Android 16.0 (including QPR2 Beta releases)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-02 - CVE-2025-48641 published to NVD
• 2026-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48641

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization), commonly known as a race condition. The flaw exists within multiple functions of the Nfc.h header file in Android's NFC subsystem.

The race condition creates a window of opportunity where memory can be freed while still being referenced by another thread. When this use after free condition is triggered, an attacker can potentially corrupt memory structures to hijack control flow and escalate privileges on the affected device.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local access with low privileges, no user interaction is needed for exploitation, and it can result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the local system.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper synchronization between concurrent threads accessing shared NFC resources. When multiple functions within Nfc.h execute simultaneously, there is insufficient locking or synchronization mechanisms to prevent one thread from freeing memory that another thread still expects to access. This time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) window allows the race condition to manifest as a use after free vulnerability.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, meaning an attacker must have local access to the Android device to exploit this vulnerability. The exploitation flow involves:

1. An attacker with low-privilege access initiates concurrent NFC operations
2. The race condition is triggered between competing threads
3. Memory is freed prematurely while references still exist
4. The attacker manipulates the freed memory region
5. When the dangling reference is accessed, the attacker's controlled data enables privilege escalation

The vulnerability can be exploited without any user interaction, meaning malicious applications could potentially trigger this condition in the background. The attack complexity is high due to the need to win the race condition, but successful exploitation leads to complete system compromise at the local level.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48641

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual NFC service crashes or restarts in system logs
• Unexpected privilege escalation events from low-privilege processes
• Memory corruption signatures in Android runtime logs related to NFC operations
• Applications gaining elevated permissions without user authorization

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for abnormal NFC subsystem behavior including rapid service restarts
• Implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) to detect memory corruption attempts
• Deploy behavioral analysis to identify processes attempting privilege escalation
• Utilize SentinelOne's Singularity platform to detect exploitation patterns associated with use after free vulnerabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for NFC-related services to capture race condition indicators
• Implement anomaly detection for concurrent NFC operation patterns
• Monitor for unexpected changes in application privilege levels
• Configure alerts for NFC service instability or memory-related errors

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48641

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the March 2026 Android Security Bulletin patches immediately
• Restrict installation of applications from unknown sources to reduce attack surface
• Review and limit applications with NFC permissions on affected devices
• Consider temporarily disabling NFC on critical devices until patches are applied

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in the Android Security Bulletin March 2026. Organizations and users should ensure their devices are updated to the latest security patch level dated 2026-03-01 or later. The patch includes proper synchronization mechanisms to prevent the race condition in the affected Nfc.h functions.

For enterprise deployments, coordinate with device manufacturers and mobile device management (MDM) solutions to ensure timely patch deployment across affected Android devices running versions 14.0, 15.0, and 16.0.

Workarounds

• Disable NFC functionality on affected devices via Settings if not required for business operations
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent untrusted code execution
• Use mobile threat defense solutions like SentinelOne Mobile to detect exploitation attempts
• Restrict physical device access to trusted personnel only

# Disable NFC via ADB for managed devices
adb shell settings put global nfc_on 0

# Verify NFC is disabled
adb shell settings get global nfc_on
# Expected output: 0