CVE-2025-20698 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in MediaTek's Power Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) affecting a broad range of MediaTek SoCs (System on Chips) including MT2718, MT6739, MT6761, MT6765, MT6768, MT6781, MT6789, MT6833, MT6835, MT6853, MT6855, MT6877, MT6878, MT6879, MT6883, MT6885, MT6886, MT6889, MT6893, MT6895, MT6897, MT6899, MT6983, MT6985, MT6989, MT6991, MT8186, MT8196, MT8391, MT8676, MT8678, MT8775, MT8786, MT8788E, MT8792, MT8796, MT8873, MT8883, MT8893. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-787, an out-of-bounds write, which occurs due to a missing bounds check in the Power HAL component. This flaw allows a local attacker who already has System-level privileges on the device to perform an out-of-bounds write, potentially leading to escalation of privileges beyond the current level. The vulnerability does not require user interaction for exploitation, increasing its risk profile in environments where an attacker has already gained elevated access. The affected versions include Android 13.0, 14.0, and 15.0 running on these MediaTek chipsets. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.7, indicating a medium severity, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access with low attack complexity, high privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability significantly. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patch links were provided, though the issue is tracked under patch ID ALPS09915400 and issue ID MSV-3793. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for devices using MediaTek chipsets running Android versions 13 to 15, which are common in many mid-range and budget smartphones and IoT devices.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20698 can be significant, especially for those deploying devices with MediaTek chipsets in their infrastructure or employee mobile devices. The vulnerability allows local privilege escalation, which could be exploited by malicious insiders or attackers who have already compromised a device to gain further control, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of device operations, or persistence mechanisms that evade detection. Given the widespread use of MediaTek chipsets in consumer and enterprise mobile devices, this vulnerability could affect corporate mobile device management (MDM) environments, IoT deployments, and BYOD policies. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data on affected devices could be compromised, impacting compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations. Additionally, the lack of user interaction required for exploitation increases the risk of automated or stealthy attacks once initial access is obtained. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future exploitation, especially as patches are not yet widely available or deployed.

To mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2025-20698, European organizations should take several specific actions beyond generic patching advice: 1) Inventory and identify all devices using affected MediaTek chipsets running Android 13 to 15 within the organization, including employee devices under BYOD policies. 2) Coordinate with device manufacturers and vendors to obtain and deploy the official patches or firmware updates corresponding to patch ID ALPS09915400 as soon as they become available. 3) Implement strict access controls and monitoring on devices to detect and prevent unauthorized local access, as exploitation requires local system privileges. 4) Enhance endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities to identify suspicious behaviors indicative of privilege escalation attempts on mobile and IoT devices. 5) Restrict installation of untrusted applications and enforce application whitelisting to reduce the risk of initial compromise that could lead to local system privilege. 6) Educate users and administrators about the risks of privilege escalation vulnerabilities and the importance of timely updates. 7) For critical environments, consider network segmentation and limiting device connectivity to reduce the attack surface. 8) Regularly audit device configurations and security posture to ensure compliance with security policies and timely patch application.