CVE-2025-48626
Published: 08 December 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-48626 is a critical-severity Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693) vulnerability in Google Android. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 47.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Enforces approved authorizations and precondition checks to prevent unauthorized background application launches that enable remote privilege escalation.
Remediates the precondition check failure vulnerability through timely patching of affected AOSP components as detailed in security bulletins.
Implements a reference monitor to mediate and enforce access control decisions, directly countering failures in precondition checks for application launching.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The vulnerability enables remote network exploitation (AV:N/PR:N/UI:N) of Android components for privilege escalation, directly mapping to T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation).
NVD Description
In multiple locations, there is a possible way to launch an application from the background due to a precondition check failure. This could lead to remote escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed…
more
for exploitation.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-48626 is a precondition check failure vulnerability present in multiple locations within the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It affects the platform/frameworks/base and packages/apps/Launcher3 components, enabling an application to be launched from the background. This flaw could lead to remote escalation of privilege without requiring additional execution privileges. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure).
A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to achieve high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts through escalation of privilege, potentially compromising the device.
The Android Security Bulletin for December 2025 details mitigation, with patches available in AOSP commits such as 9fb37191609f7cb7b2374531cafb2d00ec8b4bec for frameworks/base and 7628af9bf77f1d145359bf4075a6674574cae496 for Launcher3. Security practitioners should apply the relevant monthly security updates to affected Android devices.
Details
- CWE(s)