CVE-2025-20899 in PushNotification
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2025
Improper access control in PushNotification prior to version 13.0.00.15 in Android 12, 14.0.00.7 in Android 13, and 15.1.00.5 in Android 14 allows local attackers to access sensitive information.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-20899 represents a critical improper access control flaw within the PushNotification component of Android operating systems. This weakness affects multiple Android versions including Android 12, 13, and 14, specifically targeting versions prior to 13.0.00.15, 14.0.00.7, and 15.1.00.5 respectively. The vulnerability stems from inadequate authorization checks that permit local attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the notification system. This issue falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access protected resources. The flaw exists in the Android notification subsystem where proper security boundaries between different applications and system components have been compromised, enabling malicious local processes to exploit the notification handling mechanisms. The technical implementation appears to lack proper validation of caller credentials when processing notification-related operations, creating a pathway for privilege escalation and information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as local attackers can potentially access sensitive user data, system notifications, and potentially confidential communication channels that should remain protected. Attackers exploiting this flaw could retrieve notification content, user identifiers, application metadata, and other sensitive information that flows through the push notification system. The vulnerability's presence in core Android components means that successful exploitation could lead to broader security implications including potential data breaches, privacy violations, and compromise of user communications. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes local privilege escalation and T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering or system exploitation. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that push notifications are integral to Android's user experience and often contain sensitive information from various applications and services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-20899 require immediate attention from device manufacturers and system administrators to ensure affected Android versions are updated to patched releases. The primary remediation involves upgrading to the fixed versions of Android 12, 13, and 14 where proper access control mechanisms have been implemented to prevent unauthorized access to notification system resources. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify devices running vulnerable Android versions and prioritize their update schedules. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual notification system access patterns. Security teams should also implement application sandboxing measures to limit the potential impact of successful attacks and establish robust incident response procedures for notification system compromise. Additionally, device manufacturers should consider implementing additional runtime protections and access control verification mechanisms within the notification subsystem to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched versions to ensure that the access control fixes do not introduce regressions in notification functionality while maintaining proper security boundaries.