Use‑After‑Free in Android Runtime (CVE‑2025‑48543) Enables Chrome Sandbox Escape and Local Privilege Escalation
What It Is – Android Runtime (ART) contains a use‑after‑free memory handling flaw that can be triggered by crafted content in the Chrome browser. Successful exploitation may allow an attacker to break out of Chrome’s sandbox and execute code with elevated (root) privileges on the device.
Exploitability – No public exploit code has been released, but the vulnerability is classified as high severity (CVSS ≈ 8.8) and is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating a realistic risk of exploitation.
Affected Products – All Android devices running versions that include the vulnerable ART component (generally Android 13 and earlier).
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Continuous patch management is a core control objective; timely remediation provides defensible evidence for audits across frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001).
- Demonstrating a documented process for detecting and fixing runtime flaws strengthens the “secure configuration” posture that enterprise buyers scrutinize.
- Evidence of remediation can be surfaced in a Trust Center to satisfy third‑party risk assessments and supply‑chain due‑diligence reviews.
Recommended Actions
- Deploy the Android security update that addresses CVE‑2025‑48543 to all managed devices.
- Verify patch rollout through your mobile‑device‑management (MDM) console and retain logs as audit evidence.
- Review Chrome sandbox policies and harden configurations where possible.
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2025‑48543