CVE-2025-48642: Google Android Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-48642 Overview

CVE-2025-48642 is a local information disclosure vulnerability in Google Android. The flaw resides in the jump_to_payload function of payload.rs, where a logic error allows sensitive data to leak to a local context. A low-privileged local actor can trigger the condition without user interaction and without acquiring additional execution privileges. The vulnerability affects Android 14, 15, and 16, including several Android 16 QPR2 beta builds. Google addressed the issue in the Android Security Bulletin March 2026. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-200] Information Exposure.

Critical Impact

A local attacker with low privileges can disclose sensitive information processed by the Android payload loader without user interaction.

Affected Products

• Google Android 14.0
• Google Android 15.0
• Google Android 16.0 (including QPR2 Beta 1, Beta 2, and Beta 3)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-02 - CVE-2025-48642 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• 2026-03-01 - Google publishes fix in the Android Security Bulletin March 2026
• 2026-03-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48642

Vulnerability Analysis

The defect lives in jump_to_payload inside payload.rs, a Rust-based component of the Android boot or payload-handling stack. A logic error in this routine permits information to be exposed during the transition into payload execution. Because the attack vector is local and requires only low privileges, exploitation is constrained to code already running on the device. The vulnerability does not enable code execution, modification of data, or denial of service. Impact is limited to confidentiality, with high disclosure potential for data that crosses the payload boundary.

Root Cause

The root cause is a logic error in the control flow that hands execution to the payload. The function fails to fully sanitize or constrain data that remains accessible after the transition. Memory regions, register state, or pointers intended to be isolated from the calling context become readable. The issue maps to [CWE-200] Information Exposure rather than a memory-safety class, indicating the disclosure stems from program logic, not from an unsafe Rust operation.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access with low privileges on an affected Android device. A malicious application or process invokes the affected code path and observes state that should not be exposed to its privilege level. No user interaction is required, and the scope is unchanged, meaning the attacker reads data within the same security boundary. Successful exploitation yields sensitive information that may aid further attacks against the device. Technical details on the affected commits and downstream patches are published in the Android Security Bulletin March 2026.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48642

Indicators of Compromise

• No public indicators of compromise are currently associated with CVE-2025-48642.
• The vulnerability produces local information disclosure and does not leave consistent network or filesystem artifacts.

Detection Strategies

• Inventory Android devices by build fingerprint and flag any device running Android 14, 15, or 16 patch levels older than the March 2026 security bulletin.
• Monitor mobile device management (MDM) telemetry for devices that fail to receive the March 2026 Android security patch within policy windows.
• Review installed applications on enterprise-managed devices for unexpected processes invoking low-level payload or bootloader interfaces.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Track ro.build.version.security_patch across managed Android endpoints and alert when the value precedes 2026-03-01.
• Correlate application install events with anomalous process behavior that targets system-level components.
• Subscribe to the Android Security Bulletin feed to receive future advisories tied to the same component.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48642

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the March 2026 Android security patch level (2026-03-01 or later) on all managed devices.
• Prioritize patching for devices that handle sensitive enterprise data, credentials, or regulated information.
• Restrict installation of untrusted third-party applications, since exploitation requires local code execution on the device.

Patch Information

Google released a fix in the Android Security Bulletin March 2026. Device manufacturers integrate the upstream fix and ship updates through their own over-the-air (OTA) channels. Confirm patch availability with each original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for Android 14, 15, and 16 device families, including Android 16 QPR2 beta participants.

Workarounds

• No official vendor workaround is published; patching is the supported remediation path.
• Enforce application allowlisting through MDM to reduce the population of processes capable of invoking the affected code path.
• Disable enrollment in the Android 16 QPR2 beta program on devices that cannot receive timely updates.

# Verify the security patch level on an Android device via adb
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
# Expected output for remediated devices: 2026-03-01 or later