CVE-2025-48626Network attack vector

Remote privilege escalation via direct background application launch

Published Dec 8, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Improper access control in Android 13 through 16 allows remote attackers to launch an application from the background without user interaction. The Launcher HOME command directly calls startActivity with the home intent instead of passing a KEYCODE_HOME event through SystemUI's caller-verification path. No additional execution privileges are required; successful exploitation bypasses background-launch restrictions and elevates the attacker's ability to start an application.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in Android 13 through 16 allows remote attackers to launch an application from the background without user interaction. The Launcher HOME command directly calls startActivity with the home intent instead of passing a KEYCODE_HOME event through SystemUI's caller-verification path. No additional execution privileges are required; successful exploitation bypasses background-launch restrictions and elevates the attacker's ability to start an application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-48626
Published
Dec 8, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-693, T1404
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record 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 vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

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

Published CVSS scores

8.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-693Protection Mechanism Failure
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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