Google released the December 2025 Android Security Update to address 107 vulnerabilities across the Android OS and vendor components. The most critical aspect of this release is the remediation of two high-severity vulnerabilities. Review this Cybersecurity Threat Advisory to limit the impact of these vulnerabilities for you and your clients.
What is the threat?
Two vulnerabilities confirmed by Google as being under limited, targeted exploitation and listed in the CISA KEV catalog include:
- CVE-2025-48633: Information disclosure vulnerability that could allow an attacker to obtain sensitive data from the device.
- CVE-2025-48572: Elevation of privilege vulnerability that could allow an attacker to gain higher access than granted.
Additionally, a critical framework flaw known as CVE-2025-48631 could enable remote denial-of-service without extra privileges. In total, 107 vulnerabilities across Framework, System, Kernel, and vendor components were addressed. The update covers Android 13–16.
Why is it noteworthy?
Attackers may exploit information-disclosure flaws to bypass memory protections. They also may use elevation-of-privilege flaws to gain full control over the device and data. Google has acknowledged exploitation of these flaws prior to patch availability, underscoring the urgency of remediation.
What is the exposure or risk?
The Android Framework provides core system services, APIs, and runtime infrastructure. Flaws here can affect many apps and undermine core protections. Since CVEs 48633 and 48572 reside in the core framework, attackers don’t need root access or driver-level access. CVE-48631 can destabilize devices, crash services, or trigger reboots, potentially aiding sabotage or ransomware. Given Android’s global reach, framework or vendor-driver vulnerabilities can have widespread impact.
What are the recommendations?
Barracuda strongly recommends the following actions to limit impact:
- Check for Updates: Settings > System > System update (or equivalent).
- Update to at least 2025-12-01 or 2025-12-05 security patch level.
- Install apps from official sources such as Google Play Store.
- Avoid installing apps that request high-level or unusual permissions.
- Enforce mobile device management to detect and flag outdated patch levels for corporate devices.
References
For more in-depth information about the recommendations, please visit the following links:
- https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/google-patches-107-android-flaws.html
- https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/12/google-patches-107-android-flaws
- https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-12-01
If you have any questions about this Cybersecurity Threat Advisory, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Barracuda Managed XDR’s Security Operations Center.
