CVE-2025-48609
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn multiple functions of MmsProvider.java, there is a possible way to arbitrarily delete files which affect telephony, SMS, and MMS functionalities due to a path traversal error. This could lead to local denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA path traversal vulnerability exists in multiple functions of MmsProvider.java in Android's MMS provider component. The vulnerability allows arbitrary file deletion through directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../) without proper path validation. This can delete critical telephony, SMS, and MMS system files, causing local denial of service without requiring elevated privileges or user interaction.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 14.0= 15.0= 16.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Android versionRun 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android versionAffected if The version is exactly 14.0, 15.0, or 16.0
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Verify MmsProvider component accessibilityCheck if any third-party or non-system apps have permission to access the MMS provider by reviewing app manifest permissions and running 'dumpsys package <package_name>' for packages with android.permission.READ_MMS or android.permission.WRITE_MMSAffected if Apps without system privileges can access or query MmsProvider
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Review system logs for path traversal attemptsRun 'logcat -d | grep -i "../"' or search logcat for MmsProvider and directory traversal patterns like '../' or '..\'Affected if Logs show suspicious ../ sequences in MMS provider queries or file operations
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Verify integrity of telephony and MMS system filesCheck for existence of critical files in /data/data/com.android.phone/, /system/data/com.android.mms/, or similar telephony/MMS directories by running 'ls -la' on these pathsAffected if Critical telephony, SMS, or MMS system files are missing or were unexpectedly deleted
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Check for abnormal file deletion eventsReview audit logs (if enabled) or logcat for MmsProvider file deletion operations using 'logcat -d | grep -i "MmsProvider" | grep -i delete'Affected if File deletion operations from MmsProvider are logged for files outside the expected MMS data directory
You are affected if your Android device runs version 14.0, 15.0, or 16.0 AND the MMS provider is accessible to apps without elevated system privileges, or if logs show path traversal attempts or unexpected file deletions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply proper input validation and path canonicalization in all affected MmsProvider.java functions to prevent path traversal sequences. Validate that resolved file paths stay within expected directories before performing file operations.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-48609 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-48609 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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