CVE-2023-25145
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One's scanning function. An attacker with low-privileged access can exploit improper link following to gain elevated system privileges. Only Trend Micro Apex One installations are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Trend Micro Apex One
📦 What is this software?
Apex One by Trendmicro
Apex One by Trendmicro
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains SYSTEM/administrator privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local attacker elevates from standard user to admin privileges to install malware, disable security controls, or access sensitive data.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to isolated systems with containment preventing lateral movement.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to execute low-privileged code first. The vulnerability involves improper handling of symbolic links or junctions during scanning operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 14.0.12639 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://success.trendmicro.com/solution/000292209
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Apex One update from Trend Micro support portal. 2. Deploy update to all affected endpoints. 3. Restart systems to complete installation. 4. Verify agent version is 14.0.12639 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local user privileges
windowsLimit local user accounts to prevent initial low-privileged access required for exploitation
Disable unnecessary scanning functions
windowsTemporarily disable non-critical scanning features if business operations allow
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict least privilege access controls to limit local user permissions
- Deploy application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Apex One agent version in Trend Micro console or via agent properties. Versions below 14.0.12639 are vulnerable.Check Version:
Check Apex One agent version via: Control Panel > Programs > Trend Micro Apex One, or via management consoleVerify Fix Applied:
Verify agent version shows 14.0.12639 or higher in Apex One management console or agent interface.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation events in Windows Security logs
- Apex One service restart or crash logs
- Unexpected scanning process behavior
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Apex One agent
- Anomalous scanning-related network traffic
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName LIKE '%tmwfp%' AND NewProcessName LIKE '%cmd%' OR EventID=4672 AND AccountName NOT IN (expected_admin_accounts)