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Vulnerability record · CVE-2025-20028 · published 10 March 2026

CVE-2025-20028: TOCTOU race condition vulnerability

Time-of-check time-of-use race condition in the WheaERST SMM module for some Intel(R) reference platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

7.1 CVSS 4.0 High EPSS 0.08% · top 99.9% CWE-367 · TOCTOU race condition Awaiting Analysis
7.1CVSS 4.0 base score
0.08%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
0Affected product versions listed by NVD
1References
17 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

Time-of-check time-of-use race condition in the WheaERST SMM module for some Intel(R) reference platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:

References

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

5.1CVE-2015-3246libuser userhelper direct /etc/passwd write race conditionlibuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used by the userhelper program in the usermode package, modifies /etc/passwd directly instead of …KEVEPSS 8.8%analysed7.8CVE-2025-38352Linux kernel POSIX CPU timer TOCTOU race enables local privilege escalationA time-of-check to time-of-use race exists in the Linux kernel between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del(). When an exiting non-autor…KEVEPSS 1.3%analysed8.2CVE-2025-22224VMware ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU race leads to out-of-bounds writeVMware ESXi, Workstation, and related products contain a TOCTOU race condition that results in an out-of-bounds write. An attacker with local adminis…KEVEPSS 1.6%analysed7.0CVE-2024-30088Windows Kernel TOCTOU race condition privilege escalationCVE-2024-30088 is a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition in the Windows kernel that allows a local user to elevate privileges. It affect…KEVEPSS 68%analysed7.0CVE-2022-48618Apple OS Pointer Authentication Bypass via TOCTOU Race ConditionA time-of-check time-of-use race condition in Apple's pointer authentication implementation allows an attacker who already holds arbitrary read and w…KEVEPSS 0.49%analysed8.8CVE-2023-35311Microsoft Outlook security feature bypass via TOCTOU race conditionCVE-2023-35311 is a security feature bypass in Microsoft Outlook caused by a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition (CWE-367). It affects …KEVEPSS 16%analysed

Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2025-20028), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-25). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.