CVE-2023-47199
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an origin validation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One security agent that allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected systems. Attackers must first gain low-privileged code execution capability to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations using Trend Micro Apex One security agent 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
Complete system compromise with administrative privileges, enabling lateral movement, data exfiltration, and persistence establishment.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to bypass security controls, install malware, or access restricted system resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to proper access controls, network segmentation, and endpoint protection preventing initial low-privileged access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires existing low-privileged access; similar to CVE-2023-47193 but not identical
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Trend Micro advisory for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://success.trendmicro.com/dcx/s/solution/000295652?language=en_US
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review Trend Micro advisory 000295652. 2. Update Trend Micro Apex One to the latest patched version. 3. Restart affected systems to apply the patch completely.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local user privileges
windowsImplement least privilege principle to limit initial low-privileged access that attackers need to exploit this vulnerability
Enable application control
windowsUse application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution that could lead to initial foothold
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and network segmentation to limit lateral movement
- Deploy additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Trend Micro Apex One agent version against advisory 000295652; vulnerable if running affected versionsCheck Version:
Check Trend Micro Apex One console or agent properties for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Trend Micro Apex One agent has been updated to patched version specified in advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation events in Windows Event Logs
- Suspicious Trend Micro service modifications
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from systems running Trend Micro Apex One
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND ProcessName LIKE '%trend%' AND NewProcessName CONTAINS 'cmd.exe' OR 'powershell.exe'