CVE-2025-22418 is a high-severity 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. An Intent Redirect vulnerability occurs when an application receives an Intent and forwards it to another component without proper validation, allowing an attacker to manipulate the Intent's destination. This can lead to unauthorized actions being performed with the privileges of the vulnerable app or system component. In this case, the vulnerability allows a local attacker to escalate privileges without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction, making exploitation easier and more dangerous. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, combined with low attack complexity and no need for user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-441 (Incorrect Authorization), indicating improper checks on the Intent forwarding mechanism. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the lack of required user interaction and the local attack vector mean that attackers with local access could leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges, potentially compromising the entire device or accessing sensitive data. No official patches or mitigation links have been published yet, which increases the urgency for affected users and organizations to monitor updates closely and apply fixes promptly once available.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for enterprises that rely on Android devices for business operations, secure communications, or access to corporate resources. Successful exploitation could allow attackers with local access—such as malicious insiders, compromised devices, or attackers who gain physical access—to escalate their privileges and bypass security controls. This could lead to unauthorized data access, installation of persistent malware, or disruption of device functionality. Given the widespread use of Android devices in Europe across various sectors including finance, healthcare, and government, the potential impact includes data breaches, loss of confidentiality, and operational disruptions. The absence of required user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat level. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or mobile device management (MDM) solutions must be particularly vigilant, as compromised devices could serve as entry points into corporate networks or be used to exfiltrate sensitive information. Additionally, the vulnerability could undermine trust in mobile device security, affecting compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR if personal or sensitive data is exposed.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting local access to Android devices, enforcing strong physical security controls, and limiting the installation of untrusted applications to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 2. Organizations should deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, monitor device integrity, and remotely manage or wipe compromised devices. 3. Until official patches are released, consider disabling or restricting apps and services known to handle Intents extensively, especially those with elevated privileges or system-level access. 4. Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of reporting lost or stolen devices promptly. 5. Monitor official Google security advisories and apply security updates immediately once patches for CVE-2025-22418 become available. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on Android devices to detect potential exploitation attempts. 7. Implement application whitelisting and privilege separation to minimize the impact of any compromised app or component. 8. For critical environments, consider isolating Android devices from sensitive networks or data until the vulnerability is remediated.