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Apex OneApplication · Trendmicro

CVE-2023-52092

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.0.12849 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
A security agent link following vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One 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.

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 confidence

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One's security agent. The flaw involves improper validation when following links, allowing an attacker who already has low-privileged code execution to elevate to higher system privileges on the affected installation.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security update for Trend Micro Apex One to address the link following vulnerability. Organizations using this product should prioritize patching given the high CVSS score and the potential for local privilege escalation.

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
Apex OneApplication
Affected:< 14.0.12849= 2019

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Locate the installed Apex One security agent version
    Open Windows Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TrendMicro\Apex One, or check Add/Remove Programs for Trend Micro Apex One to view the installed version number
    Affected if The displayed version is lower than 14.0.12849 or shows version 2019
  2. Confirm the exact build number
    In the same registry location or program details, look for a build number or detailed version string that supplements the main version number
    Affected if The build corresponds to a release earlier than the 14.0.12849 patch release
  3. Verify product edition if applicable
    Check the product documentation or the registry entry for any edition markers (such as '2019' or specific product names like 'Apex One as a Service') that indicate the 2019 version branch
    Affected if The product identifies as the 2019 version or falls within that release cycle
  4. Cross-check with Windows installed programs list
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate Trend Micro Apex One, and note the version shown in the installation date column or details
    Affected if The installed version string predates the security update addressing CVE-2023-52092

A system is affected if the installed Trend Micro Apex One version is below 14.0.12849 or is identified as the 2019 version, since the vulnerability exists in those unpatched installations.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 14.0.12849 or later
Fixed in 14.0.12849
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided security update for Trend Micro Apex One to address the link following vulnerability. Organizations using this product should prioritize patching given the high CVSS score and the potential for local privilege escalation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

14.0.12849 or later

  1. Identify the current installed version of Trend Micro Apex One
  2. Download the latest version of Trend Micro Apex One from the official Trend Micro download center or your licensed portal
  3. Review the official release notes for version 14.0.12849 or later for any specific upgrade requirements
  4. Backup the current Apex One configuration and database
  5. Stop the Apex One services before upgrading
  6. Run the installer for version 14.0.12849 or later to apply the upgrade
  7. Follow the on-screen installation wizard prompts
  8. Restart the Apex One services after installation completes
Caveat Review compatibility notes for your environment; as a security fix, this upgrade should be prioritized but test in non-production first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Apex One Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,900
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,040.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-52092 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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