Google has released the December 2025 Android security update, addressing 107 vulnerabilities of varying severity across the mobile ecosystem. Two flaws, CVE-2025-48633 and CVE-2025-48572, stand out as zero‑day vulnerabilities already exploited in real‑world targeted attacks, making this update critical for both consumers and enterprises.
Overview of the December 2025 Android Security Update
The December bulletin, as usual, is split into two security patch levels: 2025-12-01 and 2025-12-05. The 2025-12-01 patch level delivers 51 fixes for vulnerabilities in the Android Framework and core system components. The 2025-12-05 patch level adds 56 additional fixes for issues in the Android kernel and proprietary vendor components, including chipsets.
According to Google’s security bulletin, the vulnerabilities impact a broad range of devices running Android 13 through Android 16. This covers both legacy and current flagship smartphones and tablets, including many devices deployed in corporate and industrial environments.
Actively Exploited Zero‑Days: CVE-2025-48633 and CVE-2025-48572
CVE-2025-48633: Unauthorized access to sensitive data
CVE-2025-48633 is an information disclosure vulnerability that can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. In practical terms, such flaws often enable reading from protected areas of memory, potentially exposing:
– personal data and messages;
– application data and authentication tokens;
– session cookies and other artefacts useful for account takeover or lateral movement.
Exploitation of information disclosure bugs is frequently a stepping stone in exploit chains, where attackers combine multiple vulnerabilities to bypass sandboxing and escalate privileges.
CVE-2025-48572: Elevation of privilege for deeper system compromise
CVE-2025-48572 is classified as an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability. Successful exploitation enables an attacker to gain higher-level permissions than intended, often allowing escape from the application sandbox and execution with system‑like privileges.
With this level of access, attackers can in many cases:
– install spyware or stalkerware that survives reboots;
– intercept and tamper with network traffic;
– silently alter security settings and disable protections;
– persist within the device for long periods without user awareness.
Google confirms that both zero‑day vulnerabilities are being used in limited, targeted attack campaigns. While technical details and proof‑of‑concept exploits are not disclosed—standard practice to avoid accelerating copycat attacks—similar mobile zero‑day chains have historically been associated with commercial spyware platforms and state‑sponsored operators. Public investigations into tools such as Pegasus and other mobile surveillance frameworks have repeatedly shown how expensive, targeted exploits can later diffuse into criminal ecosystems.
Additional Critical Flaws in Android Framework, Kernel, and Chipsets
Beyond the two zero‑days, the December update also remediates several other critical vulnerabilities with potential for large‑scale impact.
In the Android Framework, CVE-2025-48631 is highlighted as a vulnerability that can trigger a denial of service (DoS). Exploiting such a flaw can cause serious instability or repeated crashes of key services or the entire device. For enterprises and industrial users, DoS conditions can disrupt critical workflows, mobile point‑of‑sale systems, or field operations dependent on Android endpoints.
Within the Android kernel, Google reports at least four critical elevation‑of‑privilege vulnerabilities in the Pkvm and UOMMU subsystems. These components are central to virtualization and memory isolation. Compromising them can weaken the separation between processes and undermine hardening features that are designed to prevent one app or service from interfering with another. In cloud‑connected or containerized mobile deployments, such kernel‑level issues can significantly expand an attacker’s reach.
The bulletin further notes two critical vulnerabilities in Qualcomm‑based devices: CVE-2025-47319 and CVE-2025-47372. These reside in proprietary drivers and firmware for modems and coprocessors, which typically run with high privileges and, in some cases, outside the standard Android security model. Similar baseband and chipset flaws have previously been used to:
– bypass or weaken Android’s native security controls;
– gain persistence at a lower level than the operating system;
– perform covert data exfiltration via the cellular stack.
Additional technical details for Qualcomm, MediaTek, and other vendor‑specific issues are traditionally published in separate advisories by the respective manufacturers, and should be monitored closely by enterprise mobility teams.
Impact on Users and Organizations: Why Timely Patching Matters
Exploitation of Android zero‑day vulnerabilities has typically been associated with highly targeted, resource‑intensive operations against politicians, journalists, human rights defenders, senior executives, and staff in critical infrastructure. However, historical patterns show that once exploit techniques are developed and monetized, they often trickle down to broader criminal use over time.
For both individual users and organizations, the strategic takeaway is clear: install Android security updates as soon as they become available. Delaying patches—even for vulnerabilities initially seen only in narrow campaigns—materially increases the risk of exposure once exploits become cheaper and more widespread.
Practical risk‑reduction measures include:
– regularly checking for and applying OS and firmware updates from the device settings menu;
– preferring devices from vendors that offer clear, long‑term security update commitments;
– deploying MDM/EMM solutions in organizations to enforce and monitor patch levels centrally;
– restricting installation of apps from untrusted or third‑party sources and reviewing requested permissions carefully;
– incorporating mobile endpoints into vulnerability management and incident response programs, rather than treating them as separate or lower‑risk assets.
As mobile threats continue to evolve, combining timely security updates with disciplined usage policies remains the most effective defense. Applying the December 2025 Android security patch promptly, monitoring vendor advisories, and maintaining a strong mobile security baseline will significantly reduce the likelihood that these and future vulnerabilities can be used to compromise devices and data.
