CVE-2025-26462 is a local elevation of privilege vulnerability found in the AccessibilityServiceConnection component of Google Android versions 13, 14, and 15. The root cause is a logic error in AccessibilityServiceConnection.java that allows a background activity to be launched improperly. This flaw enables an attacker with local access to escalate privileges without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. Because the vulnerability is in the accessibility service connection logic, it can be exploited by a malicious app or process running on the device to gain higher privileges than intended, potentially bypassing Android's security model. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, which increases the risk of silent exploitation. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the flaw's presence in recent Android versions means it could be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, allowing attackers to execute code with elevated permissions, access sensitive data, or manipulate system settings. The lack of a CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability is newly published and not yet fully assessed, but the technical details suggest a significant security risk due to the ease of exploitation and the impact on system integrity and confidentiality.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially for enterprises relying on Android devices for business operations, including mobile workforce management, secure communications, and access to corporate resources. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, compromise of mobile device management (MDM) controls, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if devices are connected to internal systems. The fact that no user interaction is required means that attackers could deploy malicious apps or code silently, increasing the likelihood of successful attacks. This could impact sectors with high mobile device usage such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure in Europe. Additionally, the vulnerability could undermine trust in Android devices used within European organizations, potentially leading to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated.

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigations: 1) Immediate deployment of official security patches from Google as they become available for Android versions 13, 14, and 15. 2) Enforce strict application vetting policies on corporate devices, including the use of enterprise app stores and disabling installation from unknown sources to prevent malicious apps exploiting the vulnerability. 3) Utilize Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solutions that can detect anomalous app behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 4) Implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities on Android devices to monitor for suspicious activity related to accessibility services. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of timely updates. 6) Consider restricting accessibility service permissions to only trusted applications and regularly audit these permissions. 7) For highly sensitive environments, consider device-level controls such as disabling accessibility services where not needed or using managed configurations to limit attack surface.