Critical Android 0-Click Vulnerability Enables Remote Code Execution

Google released its November 2025 Android Security Bulletin on November 3, 2025, disclosing a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the Android System component that requires no user interaction or additional privileges to exploit.

The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-48593, represents a severe risk to Android devices worldwide and affects multiple versions of the operating system.

All devices running Android security patch level 2025-11-01 or later will receive protections against this and related threats.

The critical flaw exists in the System component and allows attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely on vulnerable devices without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction.

This zero-click attack vector significantly expands the threat surface, as users cannot mitigate the vulnerability through behavioral changes or security awareness practices.

Google’s severity assessment indicates that the vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise if platform and service mitigations are disabled or successfully bypassed by sophisticated threat actors.

Vulnerability Details and Affected Versions

CVE-2025-48593 affects Android 13, 14, 15, and 16, making it a widespread threat across multiple generations of the Android operating system.

The vulnerability’s critical severity rating reflects the ease of exploitation and the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive user data, personal communications, and device resources.

Alongside the critical RCE vulnerability, Google also disclosed CVE-2025-48581, a high-severity elevation of privilege flaw that impacts Android 16 exclusively, allowing attackers to escalate their privileges on affected devices.

The disclosure occurs as part of Google’s coordinated vulnerability disclosure process, where Android partners and device manufacturers are notified at least one month before public bulletin release.

This timeline allows manufacturers sufficient time to develop, test, and distribute patches before vulnerabilities become widely known.

Source code patches will be released to the Android Open Source Project repository within 48 hours of the bulletin’s initial publication, enabling rapid deployment across the ecosystem.

Security Updates and Mitigation Strategies

Android devices with security patch level 2025-11-01 or later address all vulnerabilities disclosed in this bulletin.

Device manufacturers must declare the latest security patch level and include all fixes associated with that patch level, as well as corrections for all previously reported security issues.

Google encourages partners to bundle fixes for multiple vulnerabilities into a single comprehensive update to streamline the deployment process for users.

Google Play Protect and Android security platform enhancements provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.

The service actively monitors for potentially harmful applications and abusive exploitation patterns, particularly important for users installing applications from sources outside the official Google Play Store.

Newer Android versions include enhanced security architecture that makes successful exploitation significantly more challenging, making regular updates critical for maintaining device security.

Users should verify their current security patch level through device settings and install available updates immediately.

The combination of zero-click exploitation potential and system-level access makes prompt patching essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining device integrity.

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