CVE-2025-48559 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting Google Android versions 13 through 16. The flaw resides in multiple functions within the AppOpsService.java component, where improper input validation allows an attacker to add an excessive number of app operations (app ops). This input validation weakness is classified under CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). Exploiting this vulnerability can cause a local denial of service (DoS) condition by overwhelming the system's app ops management, potentially leading to resource exhaustion or system instability. Notably, exploitation does not require user interaction, and only limited privileges (local privileges) are needed, meaning an attacker with some level of access on the device can trigger the issue without needing elevated permissions or user consent. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.5 (medium), reflecting that the attack vector is local (AV:L), attack complexity is low (AC:L), privileges required are low (PR:L), no user interaction is needed (UI:N), and the impact is limited to availability (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could be leveraged by malicious local apps or processes to degrade device performance or cause crashes, impacting device usability and reliability.

For European organizations, especially those relying on Android devices for business operations, this vulnerability poses a risk of local denial of service that could disrupt mobile workforce productivity. Devices affected include those running Android versions 13 to 16, which are widely deployed in corporate and consumer environments. The DoS condition could be triggered by malicious apps or insiders with limited device access, potentially causing application crashes or system instability. This could lead to downtime, loss of access to critical mobile applications, and increased support costs. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, availability degradation can affect operational continuity, especially in sectors relying heavily on mobile communications and applications such as finance, healthcare, and public services. Additionally, the lack of user interaction requirement lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the risk of automated or stealthy attacks within enterprise environments.

Organizations should prioritize updating Android devices to patched versions once available from Google or device manufacturers. Until patches are released, practical mitigations include restricting installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications, enforcing strict app vetting policies via enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions, and limiting local privilege escalation opportunities by enforcing least privilege principles on devices. Monitoring device logs for abnormal app ops activity or resource usage spikes can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, educating users about the risks of installing apps from unknown sources and disabling developer options or USB debugging can reduce attack surface. For critical environments, consider isolating Android devices from sensitive networks or data until the vulnerability is remediated. Vendors and IT teams should track updates from Google and apply security advisories promptly.