CVE-2025-22418 is a local elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13 and 14. The root cause is a confused deputy problem arising from Intent Redirects in multiple locations within the Android operating system. A confused deputy occurs when a privileged component is tricked into misusing its authority on behalf of a less privileged component. In this case, malicious local applications or processes can exploit the Intent Redirect flaw to escalate their privileges without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. This means that an attacker with a foothold on the device, even with limited permissions, can leverage this vulnerability to gain higher privileges, potentially accessing or modifying sensitive system resources or data. The vulnerability does not require the attacker to trick the user into performing any action, increasing the risk of stealthy exploitation. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the lack of a patch at the time of publication and the fundamental nature of the flaw in the Android Intent handling mechanism make it a significant concern. The absence of a CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability is newly disclosed and pending further assessment. The vulnerability affects core Android versions 13 and 14, which are widely deployed on many modern smartphones and tablets globally.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for enterprises relying on Android devices for business operations, mobile workforce, or BYOD policies. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to elevate privileges locally on devices, bypassing security controls and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, credentials, or internal applications. This could lead to data breaches, lateral movement within corporate networks, or installation of persistent malware. The fact that no user interaction is required increases the likelihood of automated or stealthy attacks, making detection more difficult. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to the sensitive nature of their data and regulatory requirements under GDPR and other European data protection laws. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged to undermine device integrity, affecting device management and compliance monitoring solutions. Given the widespread use of Android devices in Europe, the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational assets is significant.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Immediate deployment of official security patches from Google once available. Until patches are released, organizations should restrict the installation of untrusted or third-party applications that could exploit the Intent Redirect flaw. 2) Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce strict application whitelisting and privilege restrictions, limiting the ability of apps to invoke or redirect intents improperly. 3) Conduct thorough security audits of enterprise applications that utilize Android intents to ensure they do not inadvertently expose the system to confused deputy scenarios. 4) Educate users and IT staff about the risks of installing unknown apps and encourage the use of Google Play Protect and other security tools to detect malicious behavior. 5) Monitor device logs and behavior for unusual privilege escalations or intent redirection patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Consider temporary network segmentation or enhanced endpoint detection on Android devices handling sensitive data until the vulnerability is fully remediated. These targeted measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling intent handling and application privileges, which are central to this vulnerability.