CVE-2025-48614
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows unauthorized factory resets of Android devices running in Dynamic System Updates (DSU) mode due to a missing permission check in the RecoverySystem component. Attackers can trigger a physical denial of service without needing user interaction or elevated privileges. This affects Android devices with DSU functionality enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android OS
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device wipe and factory reset while in DSU mode, resulting in permanent data loss and device downtime requiring physical reconfiguration.
Likely Case
Unauthorized factory reset of devices in DSU mode, causing service disruption and data loss for affected devices.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if DSU mode is disabled or proper permission checks are enforced.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires access to a device in DSU mode but no additional privileges. No user interaction needed once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Bulletin December 2025 patches
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2025-12-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply December 2025 Android security patches. 2. Update affected devices through standard Android update channels. 3. Reboot devices after patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable DSU Mode
androidDisable Dynamic System Updates functionality to prevent exploitation.
adb shell pm disable com.android.dynsystem
adb shell settings put global dynamic_system_updates_enabled 0
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict physical access to devices and limit DSU mode usage to trusted personnel only.
- Implement device management policies that prevent unauthorized DSU mode activation.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if device has DSU functionality enabled and is running a vulnerable Android version (pre-December 2025 patches).Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Android security patch level includes December 2025 or later patches.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected factory reset events
- RecoverySystem rebootWipeUserData calls without proper permissions
- DSU mode activation logs
Network Indicators:
- N/A - Local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND (event="factory_reset" OR event="recovery_system" OR process="RecoverySystem")