CVE-2025-49384: Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in Trend Micro Security 17.8

Overview

The vulnerability highlighted in this post, CVE-2025-49384, is a serious threat to the cybersecurity landscape, particularly for users relying on Trend Micro Security 17.8 (Consumer). The vulnerability can lead to a local privilege escalation, which could allow a local attacker to unintentionally delete privileged Trend Micro files, including its own. This is a grave concern as it not only compromises the security of the user but also potentially exposes sensitive data to unauthorized individuals. The risk is heightened due to the high severity score of 7.8 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49384
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Trend Micro Security | 17.8 (Consumer version)

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of a link following vulnerability in Trend Micro Security 17.8. An attacker, with local access to the system, can manipulate symbolic links to redirect or delete privileged files. This can lead to the system’s security being compromised or sensitive data being leaked. The vulnerability requires user interaction and low-level privileges, making it a potent threat if an attacker can convince a user to perform certain actions or execute specific files.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a shell command:

# Attacker creates a symbolic link to a privileged file
ln -s /path/to/privilegedfile /path/to/symlink
# Then the attacker tricks the user into deleting the symlink
rm /path/to/symlink

In this scenario, if the application doesn’t validate or resolve the symbolic link properly, the actual privileged file will be deleted instead of the symlink.

Mitigation Guidance

The best course of action to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. If the patch is not yet available, a web application firewall (WAF) or intrusion detection system (IDS) could offer temporary protection by monitoring and possibly blocking suspicious activities. However, these are temporary measures and do not substitute for properly patching the system.