CVE-2025-48543: Android Runtime Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-48543 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Android Runtime that can potentially allow a Chrome sandbox escape leading to local privilege escalation on affected devices. This matters for IT and security teams because successful abuse can let an attacker move from a restricted browser context to higher privileges on the device, expanding access to local data, apps, or further system control.

Public detail is limited to the CISA summary and the named component; exact affected builds, severity metrics, and full exploit preconditions must be confirmed against the vendor advisory before treating any environment as out of scope.

How it works

The flaw is a use-after-free condition inside the Android Runtime. In this class of memory-safety bug, code continues to use a region of memory after it has been freed. An attacker who can influence allocation and free timing may corrupt or control that memory, then redirect execution or data access.

According to the CISA summary, the practical outcome of abusing this particular instance is a potential Chrome sandbox escape that escalates to local privileges. No further exploit mechanics, required user interaction, or chain details are supplied in the available facts; defenders should treat the vulnerability as a local privilege-escalation risk that begins from a sandboxed Chrome context and must verify the precise trigger conditions in the vendor advisory.

Am I affected? How to find it in your systems

Android Runtime is the core execution environment present on Android devices and emulators. It typically runs on smartphones, tablets, enterprise-managed Android endpoints, and any virtual or containerized Android instances used for testing or kiosk deployments.

• Inventory all Android devices and images under management (MDM, EMM, asset databases, or package managers).
• Identify the Android Runtime / system image version and any Chrome or WebView components that interact with it; compare those versions directly against the vendor security bulletin for CVE-2025-48543.
• Flag devices that cannot receive automatic updates or that run custom or long-term-support images, as these often lag behind security patches.
• For exploitation telemetry, look for unexpected process crashes or restarts involving the Android Runtime or Chrome sandbox processes, anomalous privilege transitions from browser-related UIDs, or sudden appearance of higher-privilege processes after browser activity. Exact log signatures are not published in the given facts, so baseline normal Runtime and Chrome behavior and alert on deviations while confirming indicators with the vendor.

How to remediate

Patch first. Apply the vendor-supplied update that addresses CVE-2025-48543 as soon as it is available for your device models and Android builds. Follow the exact installation and reboot guidance in the official advisory.

After patching, complete the CISA-required actions: apply any additional mitigations listed by the vendor, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance if the affected Runtime is used in cloud or managed services, or discontinue use of the product if no mitigations exist. Re-inventory after deployment to confirm every managed device has received the fix.

As hardening for this class of memory-corruption issue, keep Chrome and system WebView components current, enforce least-privilege app permissions, and prefer devices that receive timely security updates from the OEM or Google.

If you can't patch immediately

Until the vendor update can be applied, reduce exposure with compensating controls:

• Segment high-risk Android devices onto restricted network segments and limit their ability to reach sensitive internal resources.
• Where technically feasible, disable or restrict Chrome and other browsers that rely on the vulnerable Runtime path, or force use of a more constrained browser profile.
• Apply virtual patching or content-filtering rules at the network or MDM layer that block known malicious content patterns associated with sandbox-escape attempts (confirm any signatures against current threat intelligence).
• Increase monitoring of Runtime and Chrome process behavior, privilege changes, and crash reports; forward relevant logs to a SIEM for rapid triage.
• If the device is non-essential, consider temporary decommissioning or replacement until a patch is available, consistent with the CISA option to discontinue use when mitigations are unavailable.

If your data may have been exposed

Actively exploited vulnerabilities of this type can lead to device compromise and subsequent data exposure. If you suspect exploitation, isolate the device, preserve forensic artifacts, and begin incident-response procedures. Readers can also run a free exposure scan of their email addresses against known breach data sets to determine whether credentials or personal information associated with the environment have already appeared in public breach collections.