CVE-2021-28645 in Micro Apex One
Summary
by MITRE • 04/13/2021
An incorrect permission assignment vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One, Apex One as a Service and OfficeScan XG SP1 could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on affected installations. Please note: an attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-28645 represents a critical permission assignment flaw within Trend Micro Apex One, Apex One as a Service, and OfficeScan XG SP1 products. This issue stems from improper access control mechanisms that fail to correctly enforce privilege boundaries within the software architecture. The vulnerability specifically affects systems where Trend Micro security solutions are installed, creating a potential pathway for local attackers to escalate their privileges from low-privileged user contexts to higher-level system access. The flaw manifests in the way the software manages file and process permissions, allowing unauthorized code execution to gain elevated privileges without proper authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a misconfiguration in the privilege assignment logic where the system fails to properly validate the security context of executing processes. When an attacker successfully executes low-privileged code on a targeted system, the vulnerable software components fail to properly enforce the principle of least privilege, enabling the malicious code to escalate its privileges through flawed permission handling. This issue is categorized under CWE-276, which specifically addresses incorrect permission assignment, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through software vulnerabilities. The vulnerability exists in the core security module of Trend Micro's endpoint protection suite, where the software's own privilege management mechanisms are compromised.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-28645 is significant for organizations relying on Trend Micro security solutions, as it provides a direct path for attackers to bypass security controls that are meant to protect against unauthorized access. Once exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to gain elevated privileges that could enable them to access sensitive system resources, modify security configurations, or establish persistent access points within the network. The attack vector requires an initial foothold through legitimate means of code execution, but once achieved, the vulnerability creates a persistent escalation pathway that can be leveraged for further compromise. Organizations with multiple endpoints running vulnerable Trend Micro software face increased risk of coordinated attacks that could potentially spread across their network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment from Trend Micro, as the vendor has released security updates addressing the permission assignment flaw. System administrators should prioritize applying these patches across all affected systems, particularly those running Apex One, Apex One as a Service, and OfficeScan XG SP1 versions. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation and access control measures to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation activities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper privilege management and access control enforcement within security software, as these tools are often trusted with elevated system privileges and must maintain strict security boundaries to prevent exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual process execution patterns and privilege changes that could indicate exploitation attempts.