dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2025-48636

HIGH · 8.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
89/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
In openFile of BugreportContentProvider.java, there is a possible way to read and write unauthorized files due to a path traversal error. This could lead to local escalation of privilege 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 confidence

A path traversal vulnerability in Android's BugreportContentProvider allows local attackers to read and write files outside the intended directory through the openFile method. By using path traversal sequences (such as ../), an attacker can escalate privileges locally without requiring user interaction or additional execution privileges.

MitigationApply Android's monthly security patch which includes proper path validation and sanitization in BugreportContentProvider to prevent unauthorized file access. Verify that file access is restricted to intended bugreport directories only.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 16.0

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version (or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell)
    Affected if Version is exactly 16.0 (Android 16.0)
  2. Verify BugreportContentProvider exists
    Check for the presence of BugreportContentProvider in the system. On a rooted device, search for BugreportContentProvider.java in /system/framework or /system/priv-app directories, or check for the provider in AndroidManifest.xml files within the Android system image
    Affected if BugreportContentProvider is present and accessible on the device
  3. Confirm provider is enabled
    Check if the BugreportContentProvider is enabled in the system configuration. This can be verified through the content provider registry or by examining if apps can query content://com.android.bugreport.provider/ paths (requires testing or reviewing system configuration files)
    Affected if The provider is enabled and accepts file path arguments without additional restrictions
  4. Test for path traversal accessibility
    An app with appropriate permissions could attempt to access files outside the intended bugreport directory via content://com.android.bugreport.provider/ openFile method with paths like '../etc/passwd' - check if the system allows such access patterns
    Affected if The openFile method accepts and processes path traversal sequences (..) in the file path argument

A device is affected if it runs Android version 16.0 AND has the BugreportContentProvider enabled, allowing unvalidated path traversal through the openFile method.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Android's monthly security patch which includes proper path validation and sanitization in BugreportContentProvider to prevent unauthorized file access. Verify that file access is restricted to intended bugreport directories only.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 16.0.1 or later / March 2025 Android Security Patch Level

  1. 1. Check the current Android version and security patch level on the affected device by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Version Number or Settings > Security & Privacy > Security update
  2. 2. Navigate to Settings > System > Software Update (or Settings > About Phone > Software Update) to check for available updates
  3. 3. Download and install any available Android security updates or system updates
  4. 4. Verify the device is running Android 16.0.1 or later, or ensure the security patch level is March 2025 or later to confirm the vulnerability is patched
  5. 5. After updating, you may optionally verify the BugreportContentProvider behavior through security testing if you have a managed device program
Caveat Standard Android OS upgrade considerations apply - ensure app compatibility and backup data before updating

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-48636 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data