CVE-2025-22438 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13 and 14. The flaw exists in the InputDispatcher component, specifically within the afterKeyEventLockedInterruptable function of InputDispatcher.cpp. The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition (CWE-416), where a pointer is used after the memory it points to has been freed. This can lead to undefined behavior, including the potential for an attacker to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges locally on the device. Exploitation does not require any additional execution privileges or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for attackers who have limited access to the device. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high). The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L) and low privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges from a lower-privileged context, potentially compromising the entire device. No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, and no official patches have been linked at the time of this report. The vulnerability was reserved in early 2025 and published in September 2025. Given the nature of the flaw in a core Android input handling component, exploitation could be leveraged by malicious apps or local attackers to bypass security restrictions and gain unauthorized access or control over the device.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those relying on Android devices for business operations, secure communications, or sensitive data access. The ability to escalate privileges locally without user interaction means that malware or malicious insiders could exploit this flaw to gain control over devices, access confidential corporate data, or disrupt operations. This could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or sabotage of mobile infrastructure. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure, where Android devices are used for secure communications or mobile workforce management, are particularly at risk. The vulnerability could also undermine mobile device management (MDM) solutions if exploited, complicating incident response and remediation. Furthermore, the lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation, making detection and prevention more challenging. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity score indicates that once exploited, the impact could be severe.

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Monitor for official security patches from Google and Android device manufacturers and apply updates promptly once available. 2) Restrict installation of untrusted or third-party applications by enforcing strict app store policies and using enterprise app whitelisting. 3) Employ mobile threat defense (MTD) solutions that can detect anomalous behaviors indicative of exploitation attempts targeting local privilege escalation. 4) Limit local access to devices by enforcing strong authentication mechanisms and device encryption to reduce the risk of local attackers gaining initial foothold. 5) Educate users about the risks of installing unknown apps or granting excessive permissions. 6) Implement robust mobile device management (MDM) policies that can remotely monitor, restrict, or wipe compromised devices. 7) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on mobile device security to identify potential exploitation vectors. 8) Consider network segmentation and limiting sensitive operations on mobile devices until patches are applied. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, application trust, and proactive monitoring tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.