CVE-2025-66446 is a race condition vulnerability classified under CWE-362 affecting MaxKB, an open-source AI assistant designed for enterprise environments. The flaw exists in versions 2.3.1 and earlier, where improper file permissions allow attackers with limited privileges to overwrite critical system files, including the dynamic linker used for loading shared libraries. This improper synchronization of access to shared resources enables concurrent execution paths to interfere, leading to a race condition. Exploiting this vulnerability can result in privilege escalation, granting attackers elevated system rights without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L) but requires some privileges (PR:L). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, as attackers can modify critical files to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild, the severity and ease of exploitation make it a significant threat. The issue is resolved in MaxKB version 2.4.0, which corrects file permission settings and synchronization mechanisms. Organizations relying on MaxKB for AI assistance in enterprise workflows must prioritize patching to prevent potential exploitation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious risk of unauthorized privilege escalation, potentially allowing attackers to gain control over enterprise AI assistant systems and related infrastructure. This could lead to data breaches, manipulation of AI outputs, disruption of business processes, and lateral movement within networks. Enterprises using MaxKB in critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government services could face operational disruptions and compromise of sensitive data. The high CVSS score reflects the broad impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Given the remote exploitability and lack of user interaction needed, attackers could automate attacks at scale, increasing the threat surface. The improper file permissions and race condition could also be leveraged to implant persistent backdoors or malware, complicating incident response and recovery efforts.

1. Immediately upgrade all MaxKB deployments to version 2.4.0 or later to apply the official fix addressing file permissions and synchronization issues. 2. Implement strict file system access controls to restrict write permissions on critical system files and directories, especially those related to dynamic linking and executable loading. 3. Employ runtime integrity monitoring tools to detect unauthorized changes to critical files and binaries. 4. Use application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized or modified binaries. 5. Conduct regular audits of user privileges and remove unnecessary elevated permissions to reduce the risk of exploitation by low-privilege attackers. 6. Monitor system and application logs for unusual file access patterns or concurrent execution anomalies indicative of race condition exploitation attempts. 7. Isolate AI assistant environments using containerization or sandboxing to limit the impact of potential compromises. 8. Educate system administrators and security teams about the specific risks associated with race conditions and improper file permissions in AI assistant software.