The software checks the status of a file or directory before
accessing it, which produces a race condition in which the file can be replaced
with a link before the access is performed, causing the software to access the
wrong file.
Extended Description
While developers might expect that there is a very narrow time window
between the time of check and time of use, there is still a race condition.
An attacker could cause the software to slow down (e.g. with memory
consumption), causing the time window to become larger. Alternately, in some
situations, the attacker could win the race by performing a large number of
attacks.
Time of Introduction
Architecture and Design
Implementation
Applicable Platforms
Languages
All
Other Notes
This is already covered by the "Link Following" weakness (CWE-59). It is
included here because so many people associate race conditions with link
problems; however, not all link following issues involve race
conditions.
Description
