CVE-2025-48547 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting multiple recent versions of the Google Android operating system, specifically versions 13 through 16. The root cause is a logic error in the permission handling code that allows a one-time permission bypass in multiple locations within the system. This flaw enables a local attacker to escalate their privileges without requiring additional execution privileges beyond those they already possess. However, exploitation requires user interaction, meaning the attacker must trick the user into performing an action that triggers the vulnerability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating that the affected code fails to properly enforce authorization checks. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.3, reflecting high severity, with vector metrics AV:L (Local), AC:L (Low complexity), PR:L (Low privileges required), UI:R (User interaction required), S:U (Scope unchanged), and impacts rated high on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, suggesting this is a recently disclosed issue. The vulnerability could allow malicious local applications or compromised apps to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system functions or data, potentially leading to data leakage, unauthorized system modifications, or denial of service conditions.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those relying heavily on Android devices for business operations, including mobile workforce management, secure communications, and access to corporate resources. The elevation of privilege could allow attackers to bypass security controls, access sensitive corporate data stored on devices, or manipulate device settings, undermining confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This is particularly critical for sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure, where data protection and device integrity are paramount. The requirement for user interaction means social engineering or phishing campaigns could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, increasing the attack surface. Additionally, the widespread use of Android devices in Europe means that a large number of endpoints could be affected, potentially facilitating lateral movement within corporate networks if compromised devices connect to internal resources.

Organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Monitor for official security updates from Google and device manufacturers and deploy patches promptly once available. 2) Implement strict application control policies to limit installation of untrusted or unnecessary apps, reducing the risk of local attackers gaining initial foothold. 3) Educate users on the risks of social engineering and the importance of cautious interaction with prompts or requests on their devices to minimize user interaction exploitation. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, restrict permissions, and monitor device behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts. 5) Where possible, restrict local access to devices and enforce strong authentication mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized local access. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on mobile endpoints to identify and remediate potential exploitation paths.