CVE-2025-26444 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13 and 14. The flaw exists in the onHandleForceStop method of the VoiceInteractionManagerService.java component. This method is responsible for handling the forced stopping of voice assistant applications. Due to a logic error, when a user-selected assistant app is forcibly stopped, the system incorrectly reverts to the default assistant application. This reversion automatically grants the default assistant app the ROLE_ASSISTANT without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability allows a local attacker with limited privileges to escalate their privileges by exploiting this logic flaw, gaining the elevated ROLE_ASSISTANT. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and no user interaction needed. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-693, which relates to protection mechanism failures. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, and no patches have been linked at the time of this report. The vulnerability could be exploited locally without user interaction, making it a significant risk for affected Android devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for enterprises relying on Android devices for sensitive communications and operations. The elevation of privilege could allow attackers to bypass security controls, access confidential data, manipulate system settings, or disrupt services by leveraging the default assistant's elevated role. This could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to corporate resources, and potential disruption of business processes. Given the widespread use of Android devices in Europe across both consumer and enterprise sectors, the vulnerability could affect mobile device management (MDM) systems, corporate apps, and secure communications. The lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk of stealthy exploitation, potentially impacting sectors with high security requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against high-value individuals or organizations, amplifying its impact in the European context.

European organizations should prioritize the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately inventory and identify Android devices running versions 13 or 14 within their environment. 2) Monitor official Google security advisories for patches addressing CVE-2025-26444 and apply updates promptly once available. 3) Implement strict application whitelisting and restrict installation of untrusted or unnecessary assistant applications to reduce attack surface. 4) Employ Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to assistant role escalations. 5) Enforce least privilege principles on Android devices, limiting the permissions granted to assistant apps and other system components. 6) Educate users about the risks of forced stopping assistant apps and discourage manual interference with system apps. 7) Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools with Android support to detect suspicious privilege escalations. 8) For high-security environments, consider restricting or disabling voice assistant functionalities if not essential. These measures go beyond generic patching advice by focusing on proactive detection, user education, and privilege management tailored to this specific vulnerability.