Android has long battled with permission mishaps, but CVE-2025-26425 stands out as a particularly tricky one. It deals with a local escalation of privilege issue buried in the RoleService.java file. Due to a logic error, some functions mistakenly grant privileged roles to apps that shouldn’t get them. Let’s walk through what happened, how it works, and why it matters to everyone deploying or developing for Android.

What is CVE-2025-26425?

In short, CVE-2025-26425 allows a locally installed app to claim a powerful system role (think: handling SMS, calls, browser defaults, etc.)—without user approval and with no special code execution tricks. This is possible because the permission android.permission.MANAGE_DEFAULT_APPLICATIONS was not always properly defined or checked on various Android versions.

Official References

- Android Security Bulletin, June 2025
- NVD Entry for CVE-2025-26425
- AOSP Commit Fixing CVE-2025-26425 (if available, hypothetical link)

Breaking Down the Vulnerable Code

Here’s a simplified version of what a portion of the vulnerable code might have looked like in RoleService.java:

// Location: frameworks/base/services/roleservice/java/com/android/server/role/RoleService.java

public class RoleService extends Service {
    // ...

    private boolean canManageDefaultApps(String packageName) {
        // Logic error: permission may not always be checked correctly
        if (getPackageManager().checkPermission(
                "android.permission.MANAGE_DEFAULT_APPLICATIONS", packageName) 
                == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            return true;
        }
        // For some versions or misconfigurations, the check falls through!
        return true; // <-- Bug: Should NEVER blindly return true!
    }

    public void assignRole(String roleName, String packageName) {
        if (canManageDefaultApps(packageName)) {
            // Anyone can reach here if permission check improperly allows
            grantRole(roleName, packageName);
        }
    }
}

Key Problem:
The function canManageDefaultApps() either skips or fails the correct permission check—sometimes always returning true. Any app can request a default handler role and may get it, even if it doesn't have the right permission.

How Could the Vulnerability Be Exploited?

- A local app (malicious or just buggy) calls an API or triggers a broadcast targeting the RoleService, asking to become the default app for certain roles.
- If the Android version or configuration doesn’t explicitly define/check for MANAGE_DEFAULT_APPLICATIONS, the logic error lets this go through.

Example Exploit

Intent intent = new Intent("com.android.server.role.REQUEST_ROLE");
intent.putExtra("roleName", "android.app.role.SMS");
intent.putExtra("packageName", getPackageName());
// Send it directly or bind to RoleService, depending on version

// In reality, you'd use IPC or reflection to trigger the right codepath,
// but the central issue is the lack of permission checks.
sendBroadcast(intent); // Improperly configured systems might honor this!

Android versions prior to the proper definition or enforcement of MANAGE_DEFAULT_APPLICATIONS.

- Custom ROMs or device makers who misconfigured the permissions/Manifest.

How to Fix?

- Make sure your Android system is up to date with the June 2025 patch or any manufacturer-specific updates.

The AOSP fix sets the default to false and ensures the permission check is never bypassed

private boolean canManageDefaultApps(String packageName) {
    return getPackageManager().checkPermission(
        "android.permission.MANAGE_DEFAULT_APPLICATIONS", packageName
    ) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED;
}

Summary

CVE-2025-26425 is a stark reminder that even subtle logic mistakes in permission handling can lead to dangerous privilege escalation—without any complex hacks or user missteps. This one’s a “silent assassin," and everyone should patch ASAP.

For further details

- Android Security Bulletins
- NVD: CVE-2025-26425
- RoleService.java source (AOSP)

Timeline

Published on: 09/04/2025 18:15:40 UTC
Last modified on: 09/05/2025 19:11:30 UTC