CVE-2025-48566 is a vulnerability affecting multiple recent versions of Google Android (13, 14, 15, and 16). The root cause is improper input validation in multiple locations where intents are forwarded between user profiles. Intents in Android are messaging objects used to request actions from other app components. Due to insufficient validation, an attacker with local access and limited privileges can craft a specially formed forwarded intent to bypass user profile boundaries. This bypass allows the attacker to escalate privileges locally without needing additional execution privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-20, which relates to improper input validation, highlighting that the system fails to properly verify or sanitize input data before processing. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8 (high), with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating local attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked at the time of publication. This vulnerability could be leveraged by malicious local applications or compromised users to gain unauthorized access to other user profiles or escalate privileges on the device, potentially leading to full device compromise.

The impact of CVE-2025-48566 is significant for organizations and individuals relying on affected Android versions. An attacker with local access—such as a malicious app installed on the device or a compromised user account—can exploit this vulnerability to bypass user profile boundaries and escalate privileges. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification or deletion of critical system or user files, and disruption of device availability. In enterprise environments where Android devices are used for sensitive communications or data storage, this vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement, data exfiltration, or persistent footholds. The lack of required user interaction and low complexity of exploitation increase the risk of automated or stealthy attacks. Although no known exploits are currently reported, the vulnerability’s presence in widely used Android versions means that threat actors may develop exploits, increasing the urgency for mitigation. The vulnerability also poses risks to multi-user devices and environments where user profiles are used to separate work and personal data, potentially undermining security controls based on profile isolation.

To mitigate CVE-2025-48566, organizations and users should: 1) Monitor official Google Android security bulletins and apply patches promptly once available, as no patches are currently linked. 2) Restrict installation of untrusted or third-party applications to reduce the risk of local malicious apps exploiting the vulnerability. 3) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce application whitelisting and limit local privilege escalation opportunities. 4) Use Android’s built-in security features such as Work Profiles and strong user authentication to reduce the impact of profile boundary bypass. 5) Regularly audit installed applications and permissions to identify potentially risky apps with local access capabilities. 6) For enterprises, consider isolating critical applications or data in hardened containers or virtual environments to limit the scope of compromise. 7) Educate users on the risks of installing unknown apps and the importance of device security hygiene. 8) Monitor device logs and behavior for signs of privilege escalation or unauthorized profile access. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on reducing local attack surfaces and preparing for patch deployment.