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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2025-08-05 14:03:38.912
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/google-fixes-3-android-vulnerabilities.html
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Google Fixes 3 Android Vulnerabilities Exploited in the Wild, Urges Immediate Patching. Google has released security updates to address multiple security flaws in Android, including fixes for two Qualcomm bugs that were flagged as actively exploited in the wild. The vulnerabilities include CVE-2025-21479 (CVSS score: 8.6) and CVE-2025-27038 (CVSS score: 7.5), both of which were disclosed alongside CVE-2025-21480 (CVSS score: 8.6), by the chipmaker back in June 2025. CVE-2025-21479 relates to an incorrect authorization vulnerability in the Graphics component that could lead to memory corruption due to unauthorized command execution in GPU microcode. CVE-2025-27038, on the other hand, use-after-free vulnerability in the Graphics component that could result in memory corruption while rendering graphics using Adreno GPU drivers in Chrome. There are still no details on how these shortcomings have been weaponized in real-world attacks, but Qualcomm noted at the time that "there are indications from Google Threat Analysis Group that CVE-2025-21479, CVE-2025-21480, CVE-2025-27038 may be under limited, targeted exploitation." Given that similar flaws in Qualcomm chipsets have been exploited by commercial spyware vendors like Variston and Cy4Gate in the past, it's suspected that the aforementioned shortcomings may also have been abused in a similar context. The three vulnerabilities have since been added to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring federal agencies to apply the updates by June 24, 2025. Google's August 2025 patch also resolves two high-severity privilege escalation flaws in Android Framework (CVE-2025-22441 and CVE-2025-48533) and a critical bug in the System component (CVE-2025-48530) that could result in remote code execution when combined with other flaws without requiring any additional privileges or user interaction. The tech giant has made available two patch levels, 2025-08-01 and 2025-08-05, with the latter also incorporating fixes for closed-source and third-party components from Arm and Qualcomm. Android device users are advised to apply the updates as and when they become available to stay protected against potential threats.
Daily Brief Summary
Google has released security updates to patch multiple vulnerabilities in Android, including two exploited flaws in Qualcomm components.
The addressed vulnerabilities are CVE-2025-21479 and CVE-2025-27038, both actively exploited and concerning the Graphics component.
CVE-2025-21479 involves an incorrect authorization issue leading to memory corruption, and CVE-2025-27038 is a use-after-free vulnerability affecting Chrome’s rendering process.
These security flaws have been added to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, necessitating urgent federal agency compliance by June 24, 2025.
Past exploitations of similar Qualcomm chipset flaws have been linked to the use by commercial spyware vendors, suggesting a potential misuse context for the newly patched vulnerabilities.
Alongside the Qualcomm fixes, Google patched additional high-severity privilege escalation and a critical remote code execution risks in the Android Framework and System component.
Android users are strongly advised to update their devices with the latest patches to protect against these vulnerabilities and potential exploitation.