CVE-2023-28929
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedTrend Micro Security 2021, 2022, and 2023 (Consumer) are vulnerable to a DLL Hijacking vulnerability which could allow an attacker to use a specific executable file as an execution and/or persistence mechanism which could execute a malicious program each time the executable file is started.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceTrend Micro Security 2021-2023 consumer products contain a DLL hijacking vulnerability where an attacker can place a malicious DLL in a location where a specific Trend Micro executable will load it upon execution, achieving arbitrary code execution and persistence.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 17.0.1412<= 17.0.1412<= 17.0.1412<= 17.0.1412<= 17.7.1476<= 17.7.1476<= 17.7.1476<= 17.7.1476CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Trend Micro Security productOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed programsAffected if No Trend Micro Security product appears in the installed programs list (not affected)
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Verify the exact version numberLocate the installed Trend Micro Security application in Programs and Features and note the version column, or right-click the main Trend Micro executable and view Properties > DetailsAffected if The version number matches or is lower than 17.0.1412 for 2021 products, or 17.7.1476 for 2022 products
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Confirm the specific product editionCheck the program name in Programs and Features: look for Antivirus+ Security, Internet Security, Maximum Security, or Premium SecurityAffected if The installed product is any of the four affected 2021 or 2022 editions listed in the affected products
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Locate the Trend Micro program directoryNavigate to C:\Program Files\Trend Micro or C:\Program Files (x86)\Trend Micro and identify the main product executable folderAffected if The product directory exists and contains executable files
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Inspect for unauthorized DLLs in the product directoryExamine the Trend Micro program folder for any DLL files that were not part of a legitimate installation, or compare the directory contents against a known-clean baselineAffected if Unexpected or unknown DLL files are present in the Trend Micro product directory alongside the main executable
The environment is affected if any Trend Micro Security 2021 (version <= 17.0.1412) or 2022 (version <= 17.7.1476) consumer product is installed, and an attacker could place a malicious DLL in the product directory where the vulnerable executable would load it.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpdate to the latest patched version of Trend Micro Security or remove/block the vulnerable executable if immediate patching is not feasible.
Latest available 2021/2022/2023 version of your specific Trend Micro consumer product (contact Trend Micro support for exact build numbers)
- Navigate to the official Trend Micro Help Center at helpcenter.trendmicro.com to locate the latest security updates for your specific product (Antivirus+, Internet Security, Maximum Security, or Premium Security)
- Identify your current installed version by opening the Trend Micro main console and checking 'About' or 'License' information
- Download and install the most recent version available for your 2021 or 2022 product, which should contain the security fix for the DLL hijacking vulnerability (CVE-2023-28929)
- After installation, verify the version has been updated to confirm the patch was applied successfully
- Alternatively, ensure your Trend Micro product is set to automatically receive security updates and patches
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28929 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-28929 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data