CVE-2025-48652: Android MDM Bypass Logic Flaw – HIGH Severity Privilege Escalation

Technical summary

CVE-2025-48652 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Android's InstallRepository.kt file, specifically in the performPreInstallChecks function. The vulnerability stems from a logic error that fails to properly validate application installation requests against MDM policies. An attacker with local (low-privilege) user context can trigger this flaw during the application installation process, circumventing MDM restrictions that would normally prevent unauthorized software deployment. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure), indicating a breakdown in the security validation logic. With a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH severity), the vulnerability carries a vector of AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, reflecting local attack surface, low attack complexity, low privilege requirements, and complete impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Business impact

For organizations relying on MDM solutions to enforce security policies on Android devices, this vulnerability represents a direct threat to device governance. Employees or compromised accounts with local device access could install unauthorized applications, access restricted functionality, or modify system behavior despite MDM policies. In BYOD or corporate-managed scenarios, this could lead to data exfiltration, installation of surveillance or credential-harvesting malware, or circumvention of security applications (e.g., VPN clients, endpoint detection tools). The no-interaction requirement amplifies risk—exploitation can occur through automated scripts or malware already present on the device.

Affected systems

The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Google Android. Organizations using Android devices with MDM management should verify the specific patch status for their deployed Android versions. Verify against the vendor advisory from Google for the exact affected version ranges and corresponding patched releases.

Exploitability

Exploitability is high due to low barriers to entry. An attacker needs only local access to the device (achievable if the device is unlocked, already compromised, or accessible via USB debugging). The attack complexity is low—no race conditions, timing dependencies, or environmental quirks are required. User interaction is not needed, meaning the vulnerability could be triggered programmatically by malware or automated tools. The primary constraint is obtaining initial local access, but once present, the flaw provides a direct path to privilege escalation and MDM bypass.

Remediation

Apply the security patch provided by Google for your affected Android version. Patch availability and version numbers should be verified against Google's official Android security bulletin. In the interim, organizations should reinforce physical device security controls, enforce strong device unlock mechanisms, disable USB debugging in production environments, and monitor for suspicious application installations that deviate from MDM policies. MDM solutions should be configured to alert on installation anomalies.

Patch guidance

Consult Google's Android security bulletin (dated around June 2026 based on the modification date) for the specific patched Android versions corresponding to your deployment. Apply the patch through standard Android updates on affected devices. Test patches in a controlled environment before rolling out to production, particularly for critical business-use devices. Prioritize devices frequently connected to sensitive corporate networks or containing access to high-value data.

Detection guidance

Monitor for applications installed on corporate devices that conflict with MDM policy allowlists. Enable MDM logging and alerting for installation attempts that bypass established policies. On the device level, check installation logs and package manager activity for unexpected application installations or attempts to install packages from non-standard sources. Consider deploying behavioral monitoring to detect patterns consistent with privilege escalation attempts during the installation process. Log analysis should focus on the InstallRepository component behavior if device-level forensics are available.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits high priority for organizations with Android MDM deployments because it directly undermines a foundational security control. The combination of local attack surface, no user interaction requirement, complete impact to confidentiality/integrity/availability, and the strategic importance of MDM policies in enterprise environments creates compelling risk. The CVSS 7.8 score and the absence of KEV designation (as of the source data) should not lower urgency—MDM bypass is intrinsically high-risk regardless of public exploit availability.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 reflects: (1) local attack vector (device must already be accessible), (2) low attack complexity (no special conditions), (3) low privilege requirements (standard user context), (4) no user interaction, (5) unchanged security scope, and (6) high impact to all three security properties. This high score is justified given the complete compromise of device integrity and confidentiality, combined with the fundamental failure of MDM policy enforcement. Organizations should treat this as a HIGH-severity issue and prioritize patching accordingly.

Frequently asked questions