CVE-2025-22432 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability identified in Google Android versions 13, 14, 15, and 16, specifically within the notifyTimeout method of the CallRedirectionProcessor.java component. The root cause is improper input validation (classified under CWE-20), which can lead to a persistent connection state that an attacker can exploit. This flaw allows a local attacker, who already has user execution privileges, to escalate their privileges persistently and launch background activities without requiring any user interaction. The vulnerability does not require remote access but demands local execution privileges, indicating that an attacker must have some level of access to the device. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.7, reflecting medium severity, with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), high privileges required (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No patches or exploits are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to its ability to maintain persistent elevated privileges and background activity launches, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, system manipulation, and service disruption. The vulnerability's persistence and privilege escalation capability make it a critical consideration for Android device security, especially in enterprise environments where sensitive data and operations are involved.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to mobile device security, particularly for enterprises relying on Android devices for sensitive communications and operations. The ability to escalate privileges locally and maintain persistent background activities could lead to unauthorized access to confidential information, manipulation of device integrity, and disruption of availability of critical mobile services. This could affect sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies that use Android devices extensively. The lack of required user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is obtained, increasing the threat level from insider threats or malware that gains initial foothold. Persistent privilege escalation can facilitate long-term unauthorized surveillance or data exfiltration, undermining compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged to bypass security controls on mobile devices, impacting endpoint security strategies across organizations.

Organizations should implement strict local access controls to limit the ability of unauthorized users to gain execution privileges on Android devices. Until official patches are released, deploying mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, restrict installation of untrusted applications, and monitor for unusual background activity is critical. Regularly auditing device configurations and usage can help detect exploitation attempts. Developers and security teams should focus on improving input validation in the affected component to prevent improper data handling. Encouraging users to update devices promptly once patches become available is essential. Additionally, employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools tailored for mobile platforms can help identify privilege escalation attempts. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of granting elevated permissions to applications and the importance of device hygiene. Network segmentation and limiting connectivity for mobile devices handling sensitive data can reduce the impact of potential exploitation.