CVE-2025-48615
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Android's MediaButtonReceiverHolder component allows local privilege escalation without user interaction. An attacker could exploit resource exhaustion to cause persistence desynchronization, potentially gaining elevated privileges. All Android devices running vulnerable versions are affected.
💻 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 compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary code with system privileges, access sensitive data, and persist across reboots.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing unauthorized access to protected system components and user data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if device is fully patched and has proper app sandboxing enforced.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and understanding of Android's MediaButtonReceiverHolder component. 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. Check for Android system updates in Settings > System > System update. 2. Apply the December 2025 security patch. 3. Restart device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable unnecessary media button receivers
androidRemove or disable non-essential media button receiver components to reduce attack surface
adb shell pm disable <package_name> (for specific apps)
adb shell pm list packages | grep media (to identify media-related packages)
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict app installation policies to prevent malicious apps from being installed
- Use Android Enterprise or 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 > Security patch level. If before December 2025, device may be vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows December 2025 or later in Settings > About phone > Android version > Security patch level.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual MediaButtonReceiverHolder activity
- Resource exhaustion warnings related to media components
- Unexpected privilege escalation attempts
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND ("MediaButtonReceiverHolder" OR "resource exhaustion") AND severity>=WARNING