CVE-2025-66446 is a race condition vulnerability classified under CWE-362 affecting MaxKB, an open-source AI assistant for enterprise environments developed by 1Panel-dev. The flaw exists in versions 2.3.1 and earlier due to improper file permissions on critical system files, including the dynamic linker. This misconfiguration allows an attacker with limited privileges to overwrite these files concurrently, exploiting the race condition to escalate privileges on the host system. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable without user interaction and requires only low complexity due to the lack of required user interaction and low attack complexity. The dynamic linker is a fundamental component responsible for loading shared libraries during program execution; compromising it can lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits have been observed in the wild, the potential for severe damage exists, especially in enterprise environments where MaxKB is deployed to assist with AI-driven tasks. The issue is fixed in version 2.4.0, which corrects file permission settings to prevent unauthorized overwrites. Organizations running vulnerable versions should upgrade promptly and review file system permissions to prevent exploitation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for attackers to gain elevated privileges and compromise sensitive enterprise data processed or managed by MaxKB. The AI assistant's role in enterprise workflows means that exploitation could disrupt business operations, leak confidential information, and allow attackers to implant persistent backdoors. The high CVSS score indicates a severe impact on system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Given the remote exploitability and no requirement for user interaction, attackers could automate attacks at scale. This is particularly concerning for sectors with high AI adoption such as finance, manufacturing, and government agencies in Europe. The disruption could also affect compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for mitigation, but the risk remains high if patches are not applied.

European organizations should immediately upgrade MaxKB to version 2.4.0 or later to remediate the vulnerability. Until upgrades are completed, organizations should enforce strict file system permissions, ensuring that only trusted system processes and administrators have write access to critical files like the dynamic linker. Employing application whitelisting and integrity monitoring can detect unauthorized changes to these files. Network segmentation and limiting MaxKB’s exposure to untrusted networks will reduce the attack surface. Additionally, implementing robust privilege separation and monitoring for unusual privilege escalation attempts can help detect exploitation attempts early. Regularly auditing deployed versions of MaxKB across the enterprise and integrating vulnerability management processes to track patch status is essential. Finally, educating system administrators about the risks of improper file permissions and race conditions will improve overall security posture.