CVE-2025-48623
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation in Android's pKVM hypervisor due to an out-of-bounds write in the init_pkvm_hyp_vcpu function. Attackers can gain elevated privileges without user interaction or additional execution permissions. Affects Android devices using vulnerable kernel versions with pKVM enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android devices with pKVM support
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to gain root/kernel-level privileges, bypass security boundaries, and potentially install persistent malware or access sensitive data.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to escape application sandboxes, access other apps' data, or perform unauthorized system operations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if SELinux/AppArmor policies restrict post-exploitation activities, though kernel-level access remains dangerous.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access but no user interaction. Exploitation requires understanding of pKVM internals and memory layout.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android security patch level December 2025 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2025-12-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply December 2025 Android security patches from device manufacturer. 2. Update kernel to version containing fixes from the provided Git commits. 3. Reboot device to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable pKVM (not recommended)
androidDisabling pKVM removes the vulnerable component but significantly reduces security
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict physical access to devices and implement strong device management policies
- Monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts using security logging
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and security patch level in Android Settings > About phone > Android versionCheck Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level is December 2025 or later and check for presence of fix commits in kernel source📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- SELinux/AVC denials related to pKVM or hypervisor operations
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local exploit
SIEM Query:
source="android_kernel" AND ("pkvm" OR "init_pkvm_hyp_vcpu") AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "segfault")