CVE-2025-49731 is a vulnerability identified in Microsoft Teams for Android, specifically version 1.0.0. The issue is classified under CWE-280, which pertains to improper handling of insufficient permissions or privileges. This vulnerability allows an authorized attacker—meaning someone who already has some level of access—to elevate their privileges over a network. The vulnerability arises from Microsoft Teams for Android not correctly enforcing permission checks, which could lead to privilege escalation within the application context. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.1, indicating a low severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C) reveals that the attack requires network access, has a high attack complexity, requires low privileges, and no user interaction. The impact is limited to confidentiality with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. Given that this affects Microsoft Teams for Android, the vulnerability is relevant to organizations using this collaboration tool on Android devices, potentially allowing an attacker with limited privileges to gain elevated access within the Teams environment over a network connection.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is relatively limited due to its low severity score and the requirement for an attacker to already have some level of access. However, Microsoft Teams is widely used across Europe for corporate communication and collaboration, including in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain elevated privileges within the Teams app on Android devices, which might allow access to sensitive communication or data confined within the app. While the vulnerability does not affect system-wide privileges or device integrity, it could facilitate lateral movement or data leakage within the Teams environment. The lack of impact on availability and integrity reduces the risk of service disruption or data tampering. Nevertheless, organizations with strict data confidentiality requirements should consider this vulnerability seriously, especially where Android devices are used extensively for accessing Teams.

Given the absence of an official patch at this time, European organizations should implement compensating controls to mitigate risk. These include enforcing strict mobile device management (MDM) policies that limit Teams usage to trusted devices and users, applying network segmentation to restrict access to Teams services, and monitoring network traffic for unusual privilege escalation attempts within Teams. Organizations should ensure that Android devices running Teams are updated to the latest available versions and restrict installation of unauthorized apps to reduce the attack surface. Additionally, user privileges within Teams should be minimized according to the principle of least privilege, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Regular security awareness training should emphasize the risks of privilege escalation and encourage reporting of suspicious activity. Once Microsoft releases a patch, prompt deployment is critical to fully remediate the vulnerability.