Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-32438

Published
15 April 2025
Modified
15 April 2026
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0017 7th percentile
Risk Priority 59 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-32438 is a high-severity Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions (CWE-378) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked at the 7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-6 (Least Privilege) and SC-4 (Information in Shared System Resources) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

make-initrd-ng is a tool for copying binaries and their dependencies. Local privilege escalation affecting all NixOS users. With systemd.shutdownRamfs.enable enabled (the default) a local user is able to create a program that will be executed by root during shutdown. Patches…

more

exist for NixOS 24.11 and 25.05 / unstable. As a workaround, set systemd.shutdownRamfs.enable = false;.

CWE(s)
CWE-378CWE-379

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
attack.mitre.org →
T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may search compromised systems to find and obtain insecurely stored credentials.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-27148Shared CWE-378, CWE-379
CVE-2024-23454Shared CWE-378
CVE-2024-47884Shared CWE-378
CVE-2025-55629Shared CWE-378
CVE-2024-7358Shared CWE-378
CVE-2025-4953Shared CWE-378
CVE-2025-38747Shared CWE-378
CVE-2023-27408Shared CWE-378
CVE-2023-26603Shared CWE-378
CVE-2024-42052Shared CWE-378

Affected Assets

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V15.4.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-6 Least Privilege good match

AC-6 limits privileges granted to processes creating or accessing temporary files, reducing blast radius of insecure permissions.

SC-4 Information in Shared System Resources good match

SC-4 directly stops unauthorized information transfer through shared resources such as temporary files created with weak permissions.

AC-3 Access Enforcement partial match

AC-3 enforces access authorizations on system resources including files, structurally stopping insecure temporary file permissions from being exploitable.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require proper temporary-file creation and permission handling.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.28 Secure coding mostly match
prevents

Secure coding standards directly prohibit insecure temporary file creation and permissions.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing can detect insecure temporary files but does not prevent their creation.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC mandates secure handling of temporary files and permissions.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements include secure creation and permissioning of temporary files.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles require least-privilege file creation and access controls.

A.8.3 Information access restriction partial match
prevents

Information access restriction can limit exposure but does not address file creation itself.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. prevents CWE-379

References