CVE-2025-48646
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 executeRequest of ActivityStarter.java, there is a possible launch anywhere due to a confused deputy. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is 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 · moderate confidenceThis is an Android framework vulnerability in ActivityStarter.java where the executeRequest method fails to properly validate activity launch requests, allowing a confused deputy attack. An attacker with limited access could potentially launch arbitrary activities with elevated privileges by tricking a privileged component into launching activities on their behalf.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the Android versionGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `getprop ro.build.version.release` via ADB shellAffected if The version is 14.0, 15.0, or 16.0 specifically (exact match)
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Check the security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB shellAffected if The security patch level is earlier than the CVE fix date (the device has not received the corresponding Android security update)
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Verify if the ActivityStarter component accepts unvalidated launch requestsThis requires reviewing the AOSP framework code at frameworks/base/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityStarter.java for the executeRequest method. A grep search for "executeRequest" in that file can show if proper validation exists.Affected if The executeRequest method lacks proper authorization checks before launching activities (code inspection required)
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Check for apps with suspicious activity launch permissionsReview installed applications for those with permission to launch activities on behalf of other apps, particularly any suspicious or untrusted apps granted such permissions.Affected if A limited-privilege app exists that could potentially trigger a confused deputy attack by tricking a privileged component
You are affected if your device runs Android 14.0, 15.0, or 16.0 and has not received the security patch that addresses this vulnerability in the ActivityStarter.executeRequest method.
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 dataThis requires a fix in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) framework code to add proper authorization checks in the ActivityStarter.executeRequest method to prevent unauthorized activity launches. Users should apply Android security patches as they become available.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-48646 — 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-2025-48646 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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