CVE-2025-48559
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an improper input validation vulnerability in Android's AppOpsService that allows local attackers to add excessive app operations, causing denial of service without requiring elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects Android devices with unpatched versions, requiring no user interaction for exploitation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device unresponsiveness requiring reboot, potentially disrupting critical device functions and user productivity.
Likely Case
Temporary performance degradation or application crashes affecting device usability until system resources are freed.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and resource limits in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to execute code on the device. No user interaction needed but requires app installation or local code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security updates from September 2025 onward
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2025-09-01
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check for Android system updates in Settings > System > System update. 2. Apply the latest security patch. 3. Verify the patch level in Settings > About phone > Android version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app installation
AndroidLimit installation of untrusted applications to reduce attack surface
Enable 'Install unknown apps' restrictions in Settings > Apps > Special app access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to restrict which apps can run on the device
- Use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and monitor for suspicious behavior
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android version. If before September 2025, device may be vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows September 2025 or later in Settings > About phone > Android version.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Excessive AppOpsService operations in system logs
- Unusual resource consumption by system services
- Repeated app operation registration attempts
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="android_system" AND ("AppOpsService" OR "app ops") AND (operation_count > threshold OR error="resource_exhausted")