CVE-2025-9695 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the GalleryVault Gallery Vault App on Android versions up to 4.5.2. The root cause lies in the improper export of Android application components defined in the app's AndroidManifest.xml file, specifically within the component identified as com.thinkyeah.galleryvault. Improper export means that certain app components, such as activities, services, or broadcast receivers, are made accessible to other apps or processes without adequate access controls. This can allow a local attacker—someone with physical or logical access to the device—to interact with these components in unintended ways. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited with low privileges (PR:L), but it is limited to local access (AV:L), meaning remote exploitation is not feasible. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates low complexity (AC:L), no authentication required (AT:N), and partial impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (VC:L, VI:L, VA:L). While no known exploits are currently observed in the wild, a public exploit exists, increasing the risk of exploitation by local attackers. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of sensitive data managed by the app, potentially exposing private user files or allowing malicious actions within the app context. Since GalleryVault is designed to protect private media files, this vulnerability undermines its core security function. The issue is confined to specific app versions (4.5.0 to 4.5.2), and no official patches or updates are currently linked, suggesting users should be cautious and consider mitigation steps until a fix is released.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-9695 depends largely on the use of the Gallery Vault App within corporate or personal devices that access organizational data. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the primary risk is from insider threats or attackers who gain physical or logical access to employee devices. The improper export of app components could allow attackers to bypass app-level protections, potentially exposing sensitive personal or corporate media files stored within the app. This could lead to privacy violations, data leakage, or reputational damage, especially for organizations handling sensitive client or employee information. Additionally, if the app is used on devices with access to corporate networks or credentials, exploitation could serve as a foothold for further lateral movement or data exfiltration. The medium severity rating suggests the threat is not critical but still significant enough to warrant attention, particularly in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and legal services prevalent in Europe. The lack of remote exploitability limits widespread automated attacks but does not eliminate targeted local attacks or exploitation via malware that gains local access.

To mitigate CVE-2025-9695 effectively, European organizations and users should: 1) Immediately audit devices for the presence of Gallery Vault App versions 4.5.0 through 4.5.2 and restrict their use on corporate devices. 2) Encourage or enforce removal or replacement of the vulnerable app with alternatives that have verified secure component export configurations. 3) Implement strict device access controls, including strong lock screens, biometric authentication, and device encryption to prevent unauthorized local access. 4) Monitor for unusual app behavior or inter-process communication that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted apps and the importance of applying updates promptly once patches become available. 6) For organizations managing mobile devices, deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce app whitelisting and control app permissions, preventing installation or execution of vulnerable app versions. 7) Stay alert for official patches or updates from the vendor and apply them immediately upon release. 8) Consider network segmentation and endpoint detection solutions to identify potential lateral movement if a device is compromised via this vulnerability.