CVE-2025-48561 is a medium-severity information disclosure vulnerability affecting multiple versions of the Google Android operating system, specifically versions 13 through 16. The vulnerability arises from side-channel information leakage in multiple locations within the system, allowing an attacker to access data displayed on the device screen without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. This means that a local attacker with limited privileges (PR:L) can exploit this vulnerability without needing the user to perform any action (UI:N). The attack vector is local (AV:L), indicating that the attacker must have local access to the device, but the attack complexity is low (AC:L), making exploitation feasible under these conditions. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (C:H) but does not affect integrity or availability. The root cause is classified under CWE-203, which relates to information exposure through side channels. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could allow attackers to glean sensitive information displayed on the screen, potentially including personal data, credentials, or other confidential information, by leveraging side-channel techniques that bypass normal access controls. Given that no user interaction is required and the attacker only needs local access, this vulnerability could be exploited by malicious apps or users with limited permissions on the device.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to mobile devices running affected Android versions, which are widely used across enterprises and by employees for both personal and professional purposes. The information disclosure could lead to leakage of sensitive corporate data, personal identifiable information (PII), or credentials displayed on the screen, potentially facilitating further attacks such as identity theft, corporate espionage, or unauthorized access to enterprise systems. Since the vulnerability does not require user interaction, it increases the risk of stealthy data leakage. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those relying heavily on Android devices for secure communications and data access are particularly at risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the medium severity and ease of exploitation mean that threat actors could develop exploits in the near future. This could impact sectors with high data sensitivity such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure within Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Monitor for official security updates from Google and device manufacturers and prioritize timely patching once patches become available. 2) Enforce strict device management policies, including restricting installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications that could exploit local vulnerabilities. 3) Utilize Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security configurations and limit local privilege escalation opportunities. 4) Educate users about the risks of installing apps from unknown sources and encourage the use of official app stores. 5) Implement application sandboxing and screen content protection mechanisms where possible to reduce the risk of side-channel data leakage. 6) Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments on mobile devices used within the organization to detect potential exploitation attempts. 7) Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring suspicious local activities on Android devices. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on proactive device management, user education, and monitoring tailored to the nature of this side-channel information disclosure vulnerability.