CVE-2025-22423 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13, 14, and 15. The flaw exists in the ParseTag function within the dng_ifd.cpp source file, which is part of the image rendering pipeline handling DNG (Digital Negative) image files. Specifically, the vulnerability arises due to a missing bounds check when parsing image metadata tags, leading to an out-of-bounds read or write condition classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read). This flaw can be triggered remotely by processing a specially crafted DNG image file, causing the image renderer to crash. Notably, exploitation does not require any user interaction or privileges, meaning an attacker can induce a denial of service (DoS) condition simply by delivering a malicious image to the target device. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a high impact on availability with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a credible threat for disruption. The lack of a patch link suggests that fixes may still be pending or in progress at the time of reporting. This vulnerability could be leveraged to crash Android devices remotely, potentially affecting services relying on image processing or messaging apps that automatically render images.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the availability of Android devices, which are widely used across enterprises and by employees for mobile communications and operations. A successful DoS attack could disrupt business continuity by causing device crashes, leading to loss of productivity and potential operational delays. Sectors with high reliance on mobile devices, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, could face increased risk if attackers exploit this flaw to target key personnel or systems. Additionally, organizations using Android-based kiosks, point-of-sale systems, or IoT devices that process images could experience service interruptions. The fact that no user interaction is required increases the risk of automated or mass exploitation campaigns, potentially impacting large numbers of devices simultaneously. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly affected, the availability impact alone can have cascading effects on organizational workflows and incident response capabilities.

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigations: 1) Monitor official Google Android security bulletins and deploy patches promptly once available, as the absence of a patch link indicates updates may be forthcoming. 2) Implement network-level filtering to block or quarantine suspicious image files, especially DNG files received via email, messaging apps, or web downloads. 3) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying anomalous crashes or repeated image renderer failures to enable rapid incident detection. 4) Educate users and administrators about the risks of opening unsolicited image files, even though user interaction is not required, to reduce exposure vectors. 5) For organizations managing Android devices via mobile device management (MDM) solutions, enforce policies that restrict installation of apps from untrusted sources and control image processing permissions where possible. 6) Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or sandboxing technologies that can isolate image rendering components to contain potential crashes and prevent device-wide impact.