The mktemp tool in the uutils coreutils suite incorrectly handles an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike the GNU implementation that defaults to /tmp, the uutils version treats the empty string as a literal path and creates temporary files in the current working directory. Because the working directory may have more permissive permissions than the system temporary directory, the temporary data could become visible or editable by other users, leading to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access.

The vulnerability affects the mktemp utility in the uutils coreutils collection. No specific version range is documented by the CNA, but the referenced release 0.6.0 includes the remediation. Administrators should target the uutils coreutils package when assessing deployments.

The CVSS score is 3.3, indicating low overall impact. The EPSS score is unavailable and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting limited public exploitation. Because creating temporary files requires local user execution, the attack vector is most likely local. An attacker who can run mktemp or influence the TMPDIR environment could cause temporary files to be written to a directory with looser permissions, exposing or allowing modification of temporary data. The risk remains modest, but patching mitigates the potential for local information leakage.