CVE-2025-26452 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 14 and 15. The flaw resides in the loadDrawableForCookie method within the ResourcesImpl.java component. Specifically, it involves a confused deputy scenario where an attacker can improperly access task snapshots belonging to other applications. Task snapshots are visual representations or cached images of app states, and unauthorized access to these can leak sensitive information or enable further privilege escalation. This vulnerability allows a local attacker with limited privileges to escalate their rights without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction, making exploitation more straightforward. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-441 (Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres), indicating improper handling of resource access boundaries. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects a high severity, with metrics indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. However, the presence of this vulnerability in recent Android versions used widely in mobile devices poses a significant risk if exploited.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk primarily to enterprises and government entities relying on Android devices for daily operations, especially those handling sensitive or confidential information. The ability for a local attacker to escalate privileges without user interaction means that malware or malicious insiders could exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to other apps' data, potentially leading to data breaches, espionage, or disruption of services. This could compromise confidentiality by exposing sensitive data, integrity by allowing unauthorized modification of app states or data, and availability by potentially causing denial of service through corrupted resources. Given the widespread use of Android devices in Europe across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration, the vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement within networks or enable persistent footholds on devices. The lack of required user interaction increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation, complicating detection and response efforts.

European organizations should implement a multi-layered mitigation approach beyond generic patching advice. First, they should inventory and identify all Android devices running versions 14 and 15 to prioritize risk assessment. Until official patches are released, organizations should enforce strict application sandboxing and limit local user privileges to reduce the attack surface. Deploy mobile threat defense (MTD) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts. Encourage the use of device management policies that restrict installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications, minimizing the chance of local attackers gaining a foothold. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect lateral movement originating from compromised devices. Additionally, organizations should educate users about the risks of sideloading apps and the importance of device security hygiene. Once patches become available, rapid deployment through mobile device management (MDM) platforms is critical. Finally, consider implementing runtime application self-protection (RASP) or enhanced logging on critical apps to detect suspicious access to task snapshots or resource loading.