CVE-2025-48566 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 12/08/2025
In multiple locations, there is a possible bypass of user profile boundary with a forwarded intent 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2025
This vulnerability resides in the fundamental security boundaries of user profile isolation mechanisms within the affected system. The flaw manifests as a bypass of intended access controls through improperly validated forwarded intent mechanisms that allow unauthorized access to user resources. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation processes that fail to properly sanitize or verify the legitimacy of forwarded intent parameters, creating a pathway for privilege escalation without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. The security model relies on proper intent forwarding validation to maintain user profile boundaries, but this validation mechanism contains critical gaps that enable malicious actors to circumvent these protections.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of intent forwarding mechanisms that are designed to maintain user session boundaries and access controls. When the system receives forwarded intents, it should validate that these intents originate from legitimate sources and maintain appropriate user context boundaries. However, the current implementation fails to properly validate these forwarded parameters, allowing an attacker to construct malicious intent objects that bypass the normal access control checks. This flaw operates at the level of intent routing and validation within the application framework, where forwarded intent objects are processed without sufficient verification of their source or content integrity. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a core weakness that can lead to various security issues including privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability represents a significant compromise to the system's privilege separation model and user isolation mechanisms. An attacker can leverage this flaw to perform local privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction, effectively breaking down the security boundaries that separate user profiles. This means that users can potentially access resources, data, or system functions that should be restricted to other user accounts or administrative levels. The lack of user interaction requirement makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically without any human intervention, potentially allowing for stealthy privilege escalation attacks that persist across system sessions. The vulnerability essentially allows for unauthorized access to user profile resources through manipulation of intent forwarding mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on strengthening input validation processes for forwarded intent parameters and implementing robust verification mechanisms for intent routing. The primary recommendation involves implementing comprehensive input sanitization and validation checks that verify the authenticity and integrity of forwarded intent objects before processing them. Security controls should include mandatory source verification for all forwarded intents, implementation of proper intent object validation routines, and enforcement of strict access control boundaries. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of security monitoring to detect anomalous intent forwarding patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires careful review and strengthening of the intent handling mechanisms throughout the application architecture, ensuring that all forwarded intent processing includes appropriate validation and verification steps that align with secure coding practices. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in maintaining system security boundaries, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploit techniques.