CVE-2025-49736 Overview
CVE-2025-49736 is a user interface spoofing vulnerability affecting Microsoft Edge for Android. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-449: The UI Performs the Wrong Action], where the browser interface presents information or executes actions inconsistent with user intent. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this weakness to perform spoofing over a network, provided the target user interacts with attacker-controlled content. Successful exploitation impacts integrity but does not directly expose confidential data or affect availability. Microsoft published the advisory on August 12, 2025, and the record was last updated in NVD on June 17, 2026.
Critical Impact
An attacker can manipulate the Edge for Android user interface to mislead users, enabling phishing and social engineering attacks that trick victims into trusting malicious content.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Edge for Android
- CPE: cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:edge:*:*:*:*:*:android:*:*
- Vendor component: microsoft:edge
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-12 - CVE-2025-49736 published to NVD with Microsoft advisory
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49736
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Microsoft Edge for Android user interface layer. The browser performs the wrong action in response to specific web content or navigation events, allowing attacker-controlled pages to influence what the UI displays. This mismatch between intended and actual UI behavior forms the basis of a spoofing attack against the browser chrome or content presentation.
Exploitation requires user interaction, such as tapping a crafted link or visiting a malicious page. The attacker needs no prior authentication and no elevated privileges. The attack is delivered over the network through normal web browsing. Confidentiality is not affected, but integrity is impacted because the user sees content that misrepresents the true source or state of the browsing session.
Spoofing in a mobile browser context typically leverages the constrained screen real estate of Android devices, where address bars, security indicators, and origin information can be visually manipulated. Attackers can use this class of flaw to imitate legitimate sites, redirect trust cues, or hide malicious redirection.
Root Cause
The root cause is classified as [CWE-449]: the UI performs an action that differs from what the user reasonably expects based on the visible interface state. In Edge for Android, this stems from improper synchronization between navigation events, UI rendering, and origin display logic.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a crafted webpage and lures the victim into visiting it using Microsoft Edge for Android. The page triggers UI behavior that misrepresents the browser state, enabling credential harvesting, fake update prompts, or bogus security warnings that facilitate follow-on social engineering.
// No verified public exploit code is available for CVE-2025-49736.
// Refer to the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49736
Indicators of Compromise
- Users reporting mismatched URLs between what appears in the Edge for Android address bar and the site content actually rendered.
- Mobile phishing reports referencing Edge browser interactions where security indicators or origin displays appeared inconsistent.
- Outbound traffic from mobile endpoints to newly registered domains impersonating trusted brands, correlated with Edge user-agent strings.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor mobile web proxy and DNS logs for connections to typosquatted or brand-impersonating domains originating from Android devices.
- Correlate user-reported phishing incidents with Edge for Android version telemetry to identify unpatched clients.
- Use mobile threat defense telemetry to flag suspicious navigation patterns and credential submission events on non-corporate domains.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track Microsoft Edge for Android versions across managed devices through mobile device management inventory reports.
- Ingest browser and network telemetry into a centralized analytics platform to correlate spoofing indicators across users.
- Enable end-user reporting channels for suspicious browser prompts and address-bar inconsistencies on mobile.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49736
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Microsoft Edge for Android to the latest version available through the Google Play Store.
- Push a mandatory app update policy for Edge for Android via mobile device management for enrolled devices.
- Communicate phishing awareness guidance to users, emphasizing verification of URLs before entering credentials on mobile browsers.
Patch Information
Microsoft has released a fix through the standard Microsoft Edge for Android update channel. Consult the Microsoft CVE-2025-49736 Advisory for the fixed version and additional guidance. Updates are delivered through the Google Play Store; ensure automatic updates are enabled or force-install through enterprise mobility management.
Workarounds
- Restrict use of Microsoft Edge for Android on managed devices until the patched version is confirmed installed.
- Route mobile browsing through an enterprise secure web gateway that blocks known phishing infrastructure.
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on all business applications to reduce the impact of credentials captured through spoofed pages.
# Verify installed Microsoft Edge version on an Android device via adb
adb shell dumpsys package com.microsoft.emmx | grep versionName
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
