CVE-2025-22420 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability identified in Google Android versions 13, 14, 15, and 16. The root cause is a confused deputy problem where audio files can be leaked across user profiles due to improper access control enforcement in multiple locations within the Android OS. This flaw allows a local attacker with limited privileges to access audio files belonging to other user profiles without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by exposing potentially sensitive audio data, integrity by allowing unauthorized access to files, and availability by potentially disrupting normal profile isolation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-441 (Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres), indicating a failure in enforcing proper resource boundaries. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, highlighting that the attack is local, requires low privileges, no user interaction, and results in high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches were listed at the time of publication, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild, though the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and thus may be targeted in the future. The issue is significant for environments where multiple user profiles coexist on Android devices, such as shared devices or enterprise-managed mobile endpoints.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-22420 is considerable, especially in sectors relying heavily on Android devices for communication, data collection, or operational control. The ability to leak audio files across user profiles can lead to exposure of sensitive conversations, confidential business information, or personally identifiable information, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. The elevation of privilege aspect means attackers can escalate from a low-privilege user to access data of other profiles, potentially including administrative or corporate profiles. This can undermine trust in mobile device security, disrupt business operations, and lead to reputational damage. Critical infrastructure sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies using Android devices for secure communications or multi-user access are particularly vulnerable. The lack of required user interaction and the low complexity of exploitation increase the risk of internal threat actors or malware leveraging this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access. Additionally, the vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement within organizations using shared devices or kiosks, amplifying the threat scope.

Organizations should prioritize deploying official security patches from Google as soon as they become available for Android versions 13 through 16. Until patches are released, practical mitigations include enforcing strict user profile management policies to minimize unnecessary multi-user scenarios on Android devices, especially in enterprise environments. Disable or restrict audio file sharing and access permissions between profiles where possible. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control app permissions and profile configurations. Conduct regular audits of device user profiles and access controls to detect anomalous access patterns. Educate users and administrators about the risks of multi-profile usage and the importance of applying updates promptly. For highly sensitive environments, consider isolating critical applications to dedicated devices or profiles with minimal exposure to other users. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of monitoring local privilege escalation attempts. Finally, maintain robust incident response plans to quickly address any exploitation attempts once patches are deployed.