CVE-2025-22427 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13, 14, and 15. The flaw resides in the NotificationAccessConfirmationActivity.java component, specifically within the onCreate method. Due to a logic error, it is possible for an attacker to grant notification access above the lock screen. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to escalate privileges without requiring additional execution privileges beyond those already available. However, exploitation requires user interaction, meaning the attacker must trick the user into performing an action that triggers the vulnerability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-693, which relates to protection mechanism failures due to logic errors. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.3, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high), with attack vector local, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and user interaction needed. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could allow unauthorized access to notifications and potentially sensitive information, as well as modification or disruption of notification behavior, which could be leveraged for further attacks or data leakage.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially to enterprises and government bodies relying on Android devices for secure communications and notifications. The ability to escalate privileges locally and bypass lock screen restrictions could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive notifications containing confidential business or personal information. This could facilitate espionage, data leakage, or further compromise of corporate mobile environments. The requirement for user interaction reduces the risk somewhat but does not eliminate it, as social engineering or phishing techniques could be employed to trigger the exploit. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those issuing Android devices to employees are particularly vulnerable. The impact extends to the integrity and availability of notification services, potentially disrupting critical alerting mechanisms. Given the widespread use of Android devices across Europe, the threat could affect a broad range of sectors including finance, healthcare, public administration, and critical infrastructure.

Organizations should prioritize updating Android devices to patched versions once available from Google or device manufacturers. Until patches are released, practical mitigations include: 1) Educating users about the risks of interacting with unexpected or suspicious notification permission prompts, especially those appearing above the lock screen. 2) Implementing mobile device management (MDM) solutions to restrict installation of untrusted applications and control notification access permissions centrally. 3) Enforcing strict app vetting policies and restricting sideloading of apps to reduce the attack surface. 4) Monitoring device logs and user behavior for unusual notification permission changes or privilege escalations. 5) Encouraging use of strong lock screen authentication methods and disabling notification previews on the lock screen where possible to limit information exposure. 6) Conducting regular security awareness training focused on social engineering tactics that could trigger user interaction-based exploits.