In its August 2023 monthly security update Google plugged an impressive 46 holes in the company’s Android operating system. Among these fixes is a critical flaw, CVE-2025-27363, which has already been exploited in the wild. This vulnerability is a type of out-of-bounds write. It is a critical threat as it allows arbitrary code execution while parsing TrueType GX and variable font files. The detail was published in a Microsoft advisory on Monday, accompanying the May 2025 security update.
The bug was publicly reported by Facebook’s Project Zero team back in March 2025, underscoring the growing demand for prompt security fixes. As cyber threats continue to advance, Google’s proactive approach highlights the importance of protecting users before they are affected by possible exploits.
Details of the Vulnerability
CVE-2025-27363 is described as an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that impacts the way Android handles specially crafted font files. This would allow attackers to remotely exploit this vulnerability and execute arbitrary code on devices. Users who remain vulnerable will pay the price—literally and figuratively—as a direct consequence.
To their credit, Google has moved aggressively to remediate this abuse on the Android platform. The company today acknowledged that the vulnerability has been successfully fixed with the May 2025 security update. It further observed that FreeType versions greater than 2.13.0 have patched this vulnerability.
“There are indications that CVE-2025-27363 may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” – Google
Google’s recent announcement points to how emergency this moment is. It’s calling on the public to ensure their devices are updated as soon as possible.
Importance of Regular Updates
The release of the May 2025 security update is a timely reminder of the value of ongoing software support for mobile devices. This release addresses CVE-2025-27363 to remediate this vulnerability. It resolves 63 other security-related bugs, including 45 security vulnerabilities, providing a major security enhancement to the Android platform.
Google pointed out that finding vulnerabilities on Android is getting harder and harder. That’s largely due to the accessibility improvements added to the OS over the last two iterations. These security improvements protect against abuse and increase the overall security of users and their devices from potential dangers posed by legacy software.
“Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform,” – Google
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, maintaining up-to-date software remains a critical line of defense against potential attacks.
Recommendations for Users
In light of these positive developments, Google encourages all Android users to get on the latest version of the operating system. So get out and do it—we hope you can! Frequent, consistent updates have an extraordinary ability to reduce the threat that vulnerabilities pose and keep devices protected against the ever-changing threat landscape.
“We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible,” – Google