CVE-2025-22442 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13, 14, and 15. The vulnerability exists in multiple functions within the DevicePolicyManagerService.java component, which is responsible for managing device policies including work profiles. Specifically, a race condition allows an attacker to install unauthorized applications into a newly created work profile. This race condition occurs because the code does not properly synchronize access to critical operations during work profile creation, enabling an attacker with local access and limited privileges to escalate their privileges without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-362 (Race Condition), indicating that improper handling of concurrent operations leads to a security flaw. Exploiting this vulnerability could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the device by allowing unauthorized applications to run with elevated privileges within the work profile environment. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a significant risk, especially in enterprise environments where work profiles are used to separate personal and corporate data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.0, reflecting a high severity with local attack vector, high attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, particularly for enterprises that rely on Android work profiles to enforce security boundaries between personal and corporate data on mobile devices. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass these boundaries, install unauthorized applications, and potentially access sensitive corporate information or disrupt business operations. This could lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and reputational damage. Since no user interaction is required, the attack can be automated or executed stealthily by insiders or malware with limited privileges. The impact is heightened in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies across Europe. Additionally, the vulnerability undermines the trust in Android's enterprise security features, potentially affecting mobile device management (MDM) strategies and increasing the attack surface for targeted attacks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize updating affected Android devices to patched versions as soon as Google releases security updates addressing CVE-2025-22442. Until patches are available, organizations should enforce strict device usage policies, including restricting local access to devices and limiting the installation of applications through controlled app stores or enterprise app catalogs. Employing Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solutions that monitor for anomalous behavior related to work profile creation and app installations can provide additional detection capabilities. Administrators should audit and monitor device logs for suspicious activity indicative of race condition exploitation attempts. Furthermore, organizations should review and tighten permissions related to device policy management and consider disabling work profile creation on devices where it is not essential. Regular security awareness training for employees about the risks of unauthorized device modifications can also reduce the likelihood of exploitation.