CVE-2025-49155: Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One Data Loss Prevention Module

Overview

A critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-49155, has been detected in the Trend Micro Apex One Data Loss Prevention module. This vulnerability, an uncontrolled search path issue, could potentially allow an attacker to inject malicious code, leading to arbitrary code execution on affected systems. Given the widespread use of Trend Micro’s security solutions across various industries, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to businesses, institutions, and individuals alike. A successful exploit could result in system compromise or data leakage, which underscores the urgency of addressing this security flaw.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49155
Severity: High, with a CVSS score of 8.8
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Trend Micro Apex One | All versions prior to patch release

How the Exploit Works

The uncontrolled search path vulnerability in the Trend Micro Apex One Data Loss Prevention module results from the application not properly validating or sanitizing paths specified in file operations. An attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating file paths to load arbitrary DLLs, leading to malicious code being executed with the privileges of the application.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This pseudocode demonstrates the idea of manipulating file paths to load a malicious DLL:

// Pseudocode representing the exploitation of CVE-2025-49155
string dllPath = GetMaliciousDllPath();  // Function that returns path of malicious DLL
string targetPath = GetTargetApplicationPath();  // Function that returns path of affected application
// Move malicious DLL to target application's directory
System.IO.File.Move(dllPath, targetPath + "\\malicious.dll");
// Launch target application, causing it to load the malicious DLL
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(targetPath + "\\targetApp.exe");

This code assumes that the attacker has the ability to write files to the target application’s directory and can start the target application. It’s important to note that this is a simplified representation of the exploit and the actual exploitation would depend on specific conditions in the target environment.

Mitigation Guidance

Users are strongly advised to apply the patch provided by Trend Micro for this vulnerability as soon as possible. As a temporary mitigation, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these measures are not a substitute for applying the patch, which fully addresses the vulnerability.