CVE-2025-48638: Google Android · Elevation of privilege
Affects Google AndroidSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 8 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-48638, organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Monitor for official security patches from Google and device manufacturers and apply them promptly once available. 2) Restrict local access to Android devices by enforcing strong authentication and limiting physical or remote access to trusted users only. 3) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and monitor device integrity. 4) Disable or restrict debugging and tracing features that may expose the vulnerable __pkvm_load_tracing function where feasible. 5) Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications or granting unnecessary permissions that could facilitate local exploitation. 6) Implement runtime protection mechanisms such as SELinux policies and kernel hardening features to reduce the attack surface. 7) Regularly audit devices for signs of compromise or privilege escalation attempts. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access vectors and preparing for patch deployment.
Description
In __pkvm_load_tracing of trace.c, there is a possible out-of-bounds write due to improper input validation. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.