CVE-2025-33111 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-379, which concerns the creation of temporary files in directories with insecure permissions. Specifically, IBM Controller versions 11.1.0 through 11.1.1 and IBM Cognos Controller 11.0.0 through 11.0.1 FP6 create temporary files without using atomic operations, such as secure file creation flags or unique temporary file generation mechanisms. This improper handling introduces a race condition where an authenticated user with low privileges can potentially access or manipulate these temporary files before the intended process completes its operation. The race condition arises because the temporary files are created in a predictable manner and stored in directories with insufficiently restrictive permissions, allowing other users to read sensitive data that may be written to these files during processing. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network, but it does require the attacker to have authenticated access to the IBM Controller system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting a medium severity level primarily due to the limited impact on confidentiality and no impact on integrity or availability. No public exploits or active exploitation in the wild have been reported as of the publication date. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure temporary file handling practices, including atomic file creation and strict directory permissions, to prevent unauthorized information disclosure in enterprise software environments.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive information disclosure within IBM Controller environments, which are often used for financial consolidation and reporting. Confidentiality breaches could expose proprietary financial data or internal operational details to unauthorized authenticated users, potentially leading to insider threats or compliance violations under regulations such as GDPR. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive data could undermine trust and lead to regulatory penalties or reputational damage. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, such as banking, insurance, and government agencies, may face heightened risks. The requirement for authenticated access limits the threat to insiders or compromised accounts, but the ease of exploitation (low complexity) means that attackers with legitimate credentials could leverage this vulnerability to escalate information gathering. Given IBM Controller's deployment in large enterprises across Europe, the impact is significant enough to warrant prompt mitigation.

1. Apply patches or updates from IBM as soon as they become available to address the insecure temporary file creation. 2. Until patches are released, restrict access to directories used for temporary file storage by IBM Controller to only necessary service accounts and administrators, using strict filesystem permissions. 3. Implement monitoring and alerting for unusual file access patterns or attempts to read temporary files within the Controller environment. 4. Enforce strong authentication and access controls to limit the number of users with authenticated access to the IBM Controller system. 5. Conduct regular audits of file permissions and temporary directory configurations to ensure compliance with security best practices. 6. Consider deploying host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to detect race condition exploitation attempts. 7. Educate administrators and users about the risks of sharing credentials and the importance of session management to reduce insider threat risks.