CVE-2020-27697 – This vulnerability in Trend Micro Security 2020... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-27697?

CVE-2020-27697 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability in Trend Micro Security 2020 allows attackers to escalate privileges during installation via a DLL hijacking/symlink attack. By placing a malicious DLL in an unprotected location with high privileges, attackers can gain administrative access. This affects consumers using the vulnerable installer package.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Trend Micro Security 2020 allows attackers to escalate privileges during installation via a DLL hijacking/symlink attack. By placing a malicious DLL in an unprotected location with high privileges, attackers can gain administrative access. This affects consumers using the vulnerable installer package.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Trend Micro Security 2020 (Consumer)

Versions: All versions before the fix

Operating Systems: Windows

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only exploitable during the installation process when installer runs with elevated privileges.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing complete control over the affected system, data theft, and persistence.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation to administrative rights, enabling further system manipulation and malware installation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if installation occurs in controlled environments with proper file permissions and monitoring.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or social engineering to place malicious DLL during installation.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Insider threats or compromised accounts could exploit during installation processes.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires ability to place malicious DLL in specific location during installation window.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Updated installer package

Vendor Advisory: https://helpcenter.trendmicro.com/en-us/article/TMKA-10036

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download latest installer from Trend Micro website. 2. Uninstall existing version. 3. Install updated version. 4. Restart system.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Secure installation environment

windows

Install software only from trusted sources in controlled environments

Monitor DLL loading

windows

Use security tools to monitor and alert on suspicious DLL loading during installations

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Avoid installing/uninstalling the software in untrusted environments
Implement strict file permission controls on installation directories

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Trend Micro Security version and compare against patched version in advisory

Check Version:

Open Trend Micro Security > Help > About to check version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify installation uses updated installer package from official Trend Micro sources

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual DLL loading during Trend Micro installation
Process creation with unexpected parent-child relationships

Network Indicators:

None - local exploitation only

SIEM Query:

Process creation where parent process is Trend Micro installer AND child process has unexpected DLL loads

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-27697

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-59

Published: November 18, 2020

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://helpcenter.trendmicro.com/en-us/article/TMKA-10036 Vendor Advisory
https://helpcenter.trendmicro.com/en-us/article/TMKA-10036 Vendor Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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