Android Framework Launcher App Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

A logic error in the Android Framework allows for a possible hijacking of the Launcher app. This vulnerability could lead to a local escalation of privileges without requiring additional execution rights or user interaction. It affects multiple versions of the Android Framework.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unauthorized privileges, potentially allowing a user to perform actions or access resources that are normally restricted.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by normalizing home intents in a way that unintentionally allows untrusted callers to bypass standard activity restrictions. This can be tested using the ActivityStartInterceptorTest, which simulates the behavior of the Launcher app receiving a home intent from an untrusted source.

Remediation

Users can update to the latest version of Android where possible. Security patch levels of 2025-09-01 or later address this vulnerability.