CVE-2019-20357 in Security 2019
Summary
by MITRE
A Persistent Arbitrary Code Execution vulnerability exists in the Trend Micro Security 2020 (v160 and 2019 (v15) consumer familiy of products which could potentially allow an attacker the ability to create a malicious program to escalate privileges and attain persistence on a vulnerable system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20357 represents a critical persistent arbitrary code execution flaw within Trend Micro Security 2020 consumer products, specifically affecting versions 160 and 15 within the 2019 consumer family. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and privilege escalation mechanisms within the security software's architecture, creating a pathway for attackers to execute malicious code with elevated system privileges. The flaw manifests when the security product fails to properly sanitize user inputs or system interactions, allowing malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code that persists across system reboots and security scans.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a pattern consistent with privilege escalation attacks and persistent threat methodologies. Attackers can leverage this flaw to install malicious programs that operate at system level, bypassing traditional security controls and maintaining long-term access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's persistence mechanism ensures that even after system restarts or security updates, the malicious code continues to execute, making it particularly dangerous for endpoint protection environments. This behavior aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and persistence tactics, specifically targeting the execution and persistence phases of the attack lifecycle.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-20357 extends beyond immediate system compromise, as it undermines the fundamental trust model that security software is designed to establish. When a security product becomes the vector for persistent code execution, it creates a false sense of security for users while simultaneously providing attackers with a stable foothold for further reconnaissance, lateral movement, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects consumer-grade security products, meaning average users who rely on Trend Micro for protection are particularly at risk, as these systems often lack advanced threat detection capabilities that might otherwise identify such malicious activity. This creates a dangerous scenario where the very tool designed to protect users becomes a weapon for attackers.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Trend Micro Security versions, as well as comprehensive system hardening measures. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds writes, and CWE-20, which covers input validation issues, indicating the need for robust input sanitization and bounds checking within the security product's codebase. System administrators should also consider implementing behavioral monitoring and anomaly detection systems to identify persistent malicious code execution patterns, while maintaining regular security audits to verify the integrity of security software installations and detect potential compromise indicators.