CVE-2025-48538

Local denial of service via SystemUI hiding

Published Sep 4, 2025 · Updated Sep 4, 2025

Improper input validation in Android 13 through 16 allows local users to make a device unusable by hiding the SystemUI package. PackageManagerService.setApplicationHiddenSettingAsUser blocks hiding the core android package but fails to reject the configured SystemUI package. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access but no user interaction; successful use removes the interface needed to operate the device.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.08%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in Android 13 through 16 allows local users to make a device unusable by hiding the SystemUI package. PackageManagerService.setApplicationHiddenSettingAsUser blocks hiding the core android package but fails to reject the configured SystemUI package. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access but no user interaction; successful use removes the interface needed to operate the device.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-48538
Published
Sep 4, 2025
Updated
Sep 4, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-20, T1489
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 4, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=13
  2. Affected versionversion=14
  3. Affected versionversion=15
  4. Affected versionversion=16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=13; version=14; version=15; version=16

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1489Service Stop

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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