CVE-2025-20048 is a vulnerability identified in the Intel(R) Trace Analyzer and Collector software, which is used primarily for performance analysis and debugging of parallel applications. The vulnerability arises from an uncontrolled search path mechanism within the software, which can be exploited by an authenticated user with local access to escalate their privileges. Specifically, the software does not properly restrict or validate the directories it searches for certain executable components or libraries, allowing a malicious actor to insert or manipulate files in these paths. When the software executes or loads these manipulated components, it can lead to privilege escalation, granting the attacker higher-level permissions than originally assigned. The vulnerability affects all versions of the Intel Trace Analyzer and Collector software, although exact affected versions are referenced externally. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector details show that exploitation requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), privileges required are low (PR:L), and user interaction is required (UI:A). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, but the scope is unchanged. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date. This vulnerability is significant because it targets a specialized tool used in high-performance computing environments, which often handle sensitive or critical workloads. An attacker exploiting this flaw could gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or disruption of analysis workflows.

For European organizations, especially those involved in scientific research, engineering, and industries relying on high-performance computing (HPC), this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized privilege escalation within critical performance analysis tools. Such organizations often use Intel's Trace Analyzer and Collector software to optimize and debug parallel applications. Exploitation could allow malicious insiders or compromised users with local access to gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, manipulation of performance data, or disruption of HPC workflows. This could impact confidentiality by exposing sensitive research data, integrity by altering analysis results, and availability by disrupting performance monitoring. Given the specialized nature of the software, the threat is more pronounced in research institutions, universities, and enterprises with HPC clusters. Additionally, since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the risk is mitigated somewhat but remains significant in environments with multiple users or shared systems.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Apply patches or updates from Intel as soon as they become available to address the uncontrolled search path vulnerability. 2) Restrict local access to systems running Intel Trace Analyzer and Collector to trusted users only, employing strict access control policies and monitoring. 3) Use application whitelisting and integrity verification tools to detect unauthorized modifications to executable paths or libraries used by the software. 4) Employ least privilege principles by ensuring users have only the necessary permissions to run the software, minimizing the impact of potential escalation. 5) Monitor logs and system behavior for unusual activity related to the Trace Analyzer and Collector software, including unexpected file changes or execution paths. 6) Educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of not executing untrusted code or scripts in environments where the software is installed. 7) Consider isolating HPC environments or using containerization to limit the scope of potential exploitation.