CVE-2025-48631 is a vulnerability identified in the Android operating system, specifically affecting versions 13, 14, 15, and 16. The flaw exists in the onHeaderDecoded method within the LocalImageResolver.java component, which is responsible for processing image headers. The vulnerability allows an attacker to trigger resource exhaustion, leading to a persistent denial of service (DoS) condition. This resource exhaustion could involve excessive memory or CPU consumption during image header decoding, causing the affected device or service to become unresponsive or crash. Notably, exploitation does not require any special privileges or user interaction, meaning that an attacker can remotely trigger the DoS simply by sending crafted data that triggers the vulnerable code path. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and could be targeted by attackers once exploit code becomes available. The lack of a CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability is newly published and has not yet undergone formal severity assessment. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Android versions, which are widely deployed on mobile devices globally, including Europe. The persistent nature of the DoS means that the system remains affected until a reboot or remediation occurs, potentially disrupting critical mobile services or applications relying on Android devices. The vulnerability highlights the risks associated with resource management in media processing components and the importance of robust input validation and resource allocation controls.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to mobile device availability and reliability. Many enterprises rely on Android devices for communication, authentication, and business-critical applications. A successful DoS attack could disrupt employee productivity, prevent access to corporate resources, and impact customer-facing services that depend on mobile platforms. The persistent nature of the DoS could require device restarts or manual intervention, increasing operational overhead. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which often use Android devices for secure communications and mobile workflows, could experience service interruptions. Additionally, the widespread use of Android in consumer devices means that service providers and mobile network operators in Europe could face increased support demands and reputational damage if large-scale exploitation occurs. The vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity directly but severely impacts availability, which is a core component of cybersecurity resilience. Given the remote and no-interaction exploitation vector, attackers could launch large-scale automated attacks, amplifying the potential impact across European mobile networks and enterprise environments.

Organizations should prioritize monitoring vendor communications for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-48631 and apply them promptly across all affected Android devices. Until patches are available, implementing network-level protections such as filtering or rate-limiting suspicious traffic that could trigger the vulnerability may reduce exposure. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions should be used to enforce update policies and monitor device health indicators related to resource exhaustion or abnormal crashes. Enterprises should educate users and IT staff to recognize symptoms of device instability potentially linked to this vulnerability. Where feasible, restricting the processing of untrusted image data or disabling vulnerable components temporarily could mitigate risk. Security teams should also monitor threat intelligence feeds for emerging exploit attempts and prepare incident response plans to handle potential DoS incidents. Collaboration with mobile service providers to detect and mitigate large-scale exploitation attempts can further reduce impact. Finally, organizations should review and strengthen resource management and input validation practices in custom Android applications to prevent similar issues.