CVE-2025-48584
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass per-package notification channel limits in Android's NotificationManagerService, potentially causing resource exhaustion and local denial of service. Any Android device running vulnerable versions is affected. No user interaction or special privileges are required for exploitation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device lockup or crash requiring hard reboot, potentially causing data loss or service disruption.
Likely Case
Degraded device performance, notification system failure, or temporary unresponsiveness until resource exhaustion clears.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper resource monitoring and process isolation in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires a malicious app to be installed on the device. No public exploit code is currently available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: December 2025 Android Security Patch Level or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2025-12-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > System update. 2. Install the December 2025 security patch or later. 3. Reboot the device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict app installation
androidOnly install apps from trusted sources like Google Play Store and avoid sideloading unknown apps.
Monitor notification behavior
androidWatch for apps creating excessive notifications and uninstall suspicious apps.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict app vetting policies to prevent malicious app installation
- Use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor for abnormal notification behavior
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android version and security patch level in Settings > About phone > Android versionCheck Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows 'December 1, 2025' or later in Settings > About phone > Android version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Excessive NotificationManagerService errors
- Resource exhaustion warnings in system logs
- Apps creating abnormal numbers of notification channels
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="android_system_logs" AND ("NotificationManagerService" AND ("limit exceeded" OR "resource exhaustion"))