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CVE-2025-33111 is a race condition vulnerability in IBM Controller and IBM Cognos Controller software. The flaw exists in the code responsible for creating temporary files during application operation. Instead of using atomic operations, the software creates temporary files in a non-exclusive, insecure manner. Atomic operations ensure that file creation and access are indivisible steps, preventing other processes from interfering. Without this, the file creation process is split into multiple non-atomic steps: checking for file existence and then opening or creating it. An authenticated attacker can exploit this timing window by performing race condition attacks. The attacker repeatedly and rapidly attempts to access or manipulate the temporary file between the software’s non-atomic checks. By winning the race, the attacker can force the application to use a file under the attacker’s control. This could be a symbolic link (symlink) pointing to a sensitive system file or another user’s data. Consequently, sensitive information intended for the temporary file, such as session data or configuration details, can be exposed or overwritten. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users, meaning some level of system access is required initially. However, it allows privilege escalation or data leakage beyond the user’s authorized permissions. The affected components handle financial consolidation and reporting data, making the exposed information potentially highly sensitive. The race condition is a classic Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) software bug. Successful exploitation depends on precise timing and system load, making it somewhat inconsistent. Mitigating this requires rewriting the temporary file handling routines to use atomic system calls and secure functions.
Platform: IBM Controller, IBM Cognos Controller
Version: IBM Controller 11.1.0-11.1.1; IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.0-11.0.1 FP6
Vulnerability: Temporary file race condition
Severity: Unknown
date: 12/08/2025
Prediction: Expected Patch date: Unknown
What Undercode Say:
Analytics:
!/bin/bash
Monitor for rapid symlink creation in /tmp directories
watch -n 0.1 ‘ls -la /tmp/ | grep -E “^l”‘
Insecure temporary file creation (example of vulnerable pattern)
tempfile=”/tmp/data.$RANDOM.tmp”
echo “Sensitive info” > $tempfile
Script to attempt a simple symlink race attack
target_file=”/var/controller/sensitive.dat”
while true; do
rm -f /tmp/race_tmp
ln -s $target_file /tmp/race_tmp 2>/dev/null
done &
how Exploit:
An authenticated user creates a malicious script that continuously polls the temporary directory used by the Controller application. The script replaces the expected temporary file path with a symbolic link to a target file containing sensitive information, like a database credential store. When the application writes data to its temporary file, it inadvertently follows the symlink and overwrites the target, potentially corrupting it or making it readable to the attacker. Alternatively, the attacker sets the symlink to point to a file they own, capturing the application’s output data.
Protection from this CVE
Apply vendor patches that implement atomic file operations using functions like `mkstemp()` or `O_EXCL | O_CREAT` flags. Restrict filesystem permissions for temporary directories to minimal access. Use intrusion detection systems to monitor for rapid symlink creation in world-writable spaces.
Impact:
Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive financial or configuration data. Potential for data corruption or denial of service by overwriting critical files. Could lead to compliance violations and further system compromise.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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