CVE-2014-9641 in Antivirus Plus
Summary
by MITRE
The tmeext.sys driver before 2.0.0.1015 in Trend Micro Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, and Maximum Security allows local users to write to arbitrary memory locations, and consequently gain privileges, via a crafted 0x00222400 IOCTL call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9641 affects the tmeext.sys kernel driver component within Trend Micro antivirus products including Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, and Maximum Security versions prior to 2.0.0.1015. This represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated system privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the driver's handling of specific IOCTL (Input/Output Control) requests, specifically the 0x00222400 command which is used for communication between user-mode applications and the kernel-mode driver.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue within the kernel driver's processing logic. When a malicious user application sends a crafted IOCTL request with the specific code 0x00222400 to the tmeext.sys driver, the driver fails to properly validate or sanitize the input parameters before using them in memory operations. This allows an attacker to control memory write operations, potentially overwriting critical kernel memory locations or executing arbitrary code in kernel space. The flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of 'Stack-based Buffer Overflow' or potentially CWE-787 'Out-of-bounds Write' depending on the exact implementation details, and represents a classic kernel-mode privilege escalation vector.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe security risk for systems running affected Trend Micro products. Local attackers who can execute code on the system can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges from standard user level to SYSTEM level access, effectively bypassing all operating system security controls. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the attacker gains complete control over the system, enabling them to install malicious software, modify system files, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local user access to exploit, making it accessible through various attack vectors including social engineering, compromised accounts, or malicious software that can execute code locally.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is significant given that Trend Micro products are widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a malicious application that sends the specific IOCTL call to the vulnerable driver, which then executes the attacker's payload in kernel mode. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1543 'Create or Modify System Process' as attackers can leverage the kernel-level access to modify system processes or create persistent access mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including patching to version 2.0.0.1015 or later, disabling the affected driver if not required, and monitoring for suspicious IOCTL activity patterns in system logs. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of all Trend Micro installations and consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.