diff --git a/src/_pytest/tmpdir.py b/src/_pytest/tmpdir.py
index 855ad273ecf..9b666575941 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/tmpdir.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/tmpdir.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 from .pathlib import make_numbered_dir
 from .pathlib import make_numbered_dir_with_cleanup
 from .pathlib import rm_rf
-from _pytest.compat import get_user_id
 from _pytest.config import Config
 from _pytest.config import ExitCode
 from _pytest.config import hookimpl
@@ -145,6 +144,8 @@ def getbasetemp(self) -> Path:
         if self._basetemp is not None:
             return self._basetemp
 
+        basetemp: Path
+
         if self._given_basetemp is not None:
             basetemp = self._given_basetemp
             if basetemp.exists():
@@ -155,42 +156,32 @@ def getbasetemp(self) -> Path:
             from_env = os.environ.get("PYTEST_DEBUG_TEMPROOT")
             temproot = Path(from_env or tempfile.gettempdir()).resolve()
             user = get_user() or "unknown"
-            # use a sub-directory in the temproot to speed-up
-            # make_numbered_dir() call
+
             rootdir = temproot.joinpath(f"pytest-of-{user}")
+            if rootdir.is_symlink():
+                raise OSError(f"Symlink attack detected at {rootdir}")
+
             try:
                 rootdir.mkdir(mode=0o700, exist_ok=True)
             except OSError:
-                # getuser() likely returned illegal characters for the platform, use unknown back off mechanism
                 rootdir = temproot.joinpath("pytest-of-unknown")
+                if rootdir.is_symlink():
+                    raise OSError(f"Symlink attack detected at {rootdir}") from None
                 rootdir.mkdir(mode=0o700, exist_ok=True)
-            # Because we use exist_ok=True with a predictable name, make sure
-            # we are the owners, to prevent any funny business (on unix, where
-            # temproot is usually shared).
-            # Also, to keep things private, fixup any world-readable temp
-            # rootdir's permissions. Historically 0o755 was used, so we can't
-            # just error out on this, at least for a while.
-            uid = get_user_id()
-            if uid is not None:
-                rootdir_stat = rootdir.stat()
-                if rootdir_stat.st_uid != uid:
-                    raise OSError(
-                        f"The temporary directory {rootdir} is not owned by the current user. "
-                        "Fix this and try again."
-                    )
-                if (rootdir_stat.st_mode & 0o077) != 0:
-                    os.chmod(rootdir, rootdir_stat.st_mode & ~0o077)
+
+            if rootdir.is_symlink():
+                raise OSError(f"Symlink attack detected at {rootdir}")
             keep = self._retention_count
             if self._retention_policy == "none":
                 keep = 0
-            basetemp = make_numbered_dir_with_cleanup(
+            res = make_numbered_dir_with_cleanup(
                 prefix="pytest-",
                 root=rootdir,
                 keep=keep,
                 lock_timeout=LOCK_TIMEOUT,
                 mode=0o700,
             )
-        assert basetemp is not None, basetemp
+            basetemp = res
         self._basetemp = basetemp
         self._trace("new basetemp", basetemp)
         return basetemp
diff --git a/testing/test_tmpdir.py b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
index 12891d81488..e18afddf9b3 100644
--- a/testing/test_tmpdir.py
+++ b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
@@ -619,3 +619,25 @@ def test_tmp_path_factory_fixes_up_world_readable_permissions(
 
     # After - fixed.
     assert (basetemp.parent.stat().st_mode & 0o077) == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not hasattr(os, "symlink"), reason="requires symlink support")
+def test_tmp_path_factory_fixes_rejects_symlink_attack(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    """A local attacker could create a symlink at the predictable
+    /tmp/pytest-of-{user} user pointing to an attacker controlled location.
+    """
+    # Use the test's tmp_path as the system temproot (/tmp).
+    monkeypatch.setenv("PYTEST_DEBUG_TEMPROOT", str(tmp_path))
+    # Set username
+    monkeypatch.setattr("_pytest.tmpdir.get_user", lambda: "testuser")
+    attacker_target = tmp_path / "attacker_controlled"
+    # Simulate symlink attack
+    attacker_target.mkdir(mode=0o700)
+    symlink_path = tmp_path = tmp_path / "pytest-of-testuser"
+    symlink_path.symlink_to(attacker_target)
+
+    tmp_factory = TempPathFactory(None, 3, "all", lambda *args: None, _ispytest=True)
+    with pytest.raises(OSError, match="Symlink"):
+        tmp_factory.getbasetemp()