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High

Local Privilege Escalation in Android Kernel pKVM init_pkvm_hyp_vcpu

IdentifiersCVE-2025-48623CWE-787· Out-of-bounds Write

CVE-2025-48623 is a critical elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Android kernel's protected KVM (pKVM) subsystem. According to the provided content, the flaw is located in the function init_pkvm_hyp_vcpu in pkvm.c, where improper input validation can result in an out-of-bounds write. This memory corruption condition may allow a local attacker to corrupt adjacent memory in the pKVM context and break intended isolation guarantees. The issue is described as requiring no additional execution privileges and no user interaction for exploitation.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

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Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can lead to local escalation of privilege on affected Android devices. Because the flaw is in the pKVM subsystem, exploitation may undermine virtualization-based isolation boundaries that pKVM is intended to enforce, potentially enabling compromise of sensitive kernel or hypervisor-adjacent execution contexts. The bulletin classifies this issue as critical.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Primary mitigation is prompt installation of the December 2025 Android security update, preferably to patch level 2025-12-05 or later. Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting execution of untrusted local code and enforcing strong application control, since this is a local privilege-escalation issue. Google Play Protect may provide some general risk reduction against malicious apps, but it is not a substitute for applying the kernel patch.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the Android December 2025 security updates that include the fix for CVE-2025-48623. The provided content indicates that kernel and related vendor fixes are covered by the 2025-12-05 security patch level, and devices at 2025-12-05 or later are considered protected against the issues listed in the bulletin. OEMs should integrate the corresponding kernel fix for the pKVM subsystem into supported Android 13-16 device builds.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

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VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

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VendorProductType
GoogleAndroidoperating_system

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What this page doesn’t show

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Threat actor evidence

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Detection signatures

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Social activity4

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