CVE-2025-22433 is a local elevation of privilege vulnerability found in Google Android versions 13, 14, and 15. The flaw exists in the canForward method of the IntentForwarderActivity.java component, which is responsible for handling cross-profile intent forwarding, a mechanism commonly used in Work Profile scenarios to separate personal and work data on the same device. Due to a logic error in the code, the cross-profile intent filter can be bypassed, allowing an unprivileged local attacker to escalate their privileges without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. This means an attacker with local access to the device can exploit this vulnerability to gain higher privileges, potentially accessing or modifying data across profiles that should be isolated. The vulnerability does not require the attacker to trick the user into any action, making it more dangerous in environments where devices are shared or where malicious apps could be installed. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the flaw's nature and the lack of user interaction required make it a significant risk, especially in enterprise environments relying on Android's Work Profile for data separation and security.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to the confidentiality and integrity of corporate data on Android devices configured with Work Profiles. Many enterprises in Europe use Android devices to separate work and personal environments, relying on cross-profile intent filters to enforce strict data boundaries. Exploitation of this vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass these boundaries, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information, potential data leakage, and unauthorized modification of work-related applications or data. This could undermine compliance with stringent European data protection regulations such as GDPR, exposing organizations to legal and financial penalties. Additionally, the elevation of privilege could facilitate further lateral movement within corporate mobile environments or enable installation of persistent malware with elevated rights. The lack of required user interaction increases the risk of silent compromise, making detection and prevention more challenging.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Apply official security patches from Google as soon as they become available for affected Android versions (13, 14, and 15). 2) Enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies that restrict installation of untrusted or unverified applications, minimizing the risk of local attackers gaining initial access. 3) Limit local device access by enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as biometric or PIN-based locks to prevent unauthorized physical access. 4) Monitor device logs and behavior for unusual cross-profile activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Educate users about the risks of installing applications from unknown sources and the importance of device security hygiene. 6) For organizations using Android Enterprise, consider temporarily disabling or restricting Work Profile features until patches are applied, if feasible. 7) Collaborate with endpoint security providers to deploy advanced threat detection solutions capable of identifying privilege escalation attempts on mobile devices.