CVE-2021-25232 in Apex One
Summary
by MITRE • 02/05/2021
An improper access control vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One (on-prem and SaaS) and OfficeScan XG SP1 could allow an unauthenticated user to obtain information about the SQL database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-25232 represents a critical improper access control flaw affecting Trend Micro Apex One deployments across both on-premises and Software-as-a-Service environments, as well as OfficeScan XG Service Pack 1. This weakness stems from insufficient authorization controls within the affected software components, creating a pathway for unauthorized actors to access sensitive database information without proper authentication credentials. The vulnerability exists within the database interaction mechanisms of these security solutions, which are designed to protect enterprise networks but inadvertently expose internal database structures to external threats.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through direct database query interfaces that lack proper authentication verification. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute unauthorized database enumeration operations, potentially gaining insights into database schema structures, table names, column definitions, and other metadata that would normally be restricted to authorized database administrators. The vulnerability specifically affects the communication protocols used by Trend Micro products to interact with their underlying SQL databases, where the authentication layer fails to properly validate incoming requests before granting access to database resources. This misconfiguration creates a privilege escalation vector that allows unauthenticated access to sensitive backend information.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-25232 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked database information can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could map the entire database structure and identify potential injection points or other exploitable weaknesses within the application. This reconnaissance capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as threat actors gather intelligence to plan subsequent attacks. The exposure of database metadata could facilitate advanced persistent threat campaigns where attackers use the gathered information to craft more targeted exploitation attempts against the vulnerable systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability face significant security implications, as database information disclosure can lead to cascading security breaches when combined with other attack vectors. The improper access control mechanism creates a persistent threat surface that remains active until properly patched, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to sensitive enterprise data. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation within security software, as these tools are often considered trusted components within enterprise environments. The flaw affects both on-premises deployments and cloud-based services, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited across multiple deployment models. Security professionals should consider implementing network segmentation and database firewalls to limit access to database resources while awaiting official patches from Trend Micro.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of network-level controls to restrict access to database ports and services, along with monitoring for unusual database access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also review their database access controls and implement proper authentication mechanisms even for internal services. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a classic example of insufficient authorization checks in enterprise security solutions. The recommended approach involves applying the vendor-provided security patches as soon as they become available, while simultaneously implementing additional defensive measures such as intrusion detection system rules to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.