EUVD-2025-209917
GHSA-rjc8-fqvx-g34c
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain low-privileged local code execution
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DeliveryTarget iCore signature-verification path
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ExploitRace file swap after check, before use
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ExecutionPrivileged service loads malicious file
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ImpactExecute code with elevated privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture TOCTOU prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the attacker to already possess the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target macOS host (explicitly stated by the vendor) and to target the Trend Micro Apex One (mac) agent's iCore signature-verification flow. The core prerequisite is winning a TOCTOU race window in that verification routine - replacing or altering the verified file between the check and its use - which is what makes the flaw exploitable. Limiting factors that reduce realistic risk: the vector is local only (AV:L), the attacker needs pre-existing low-privileged access (PR:L), exploitation is high-complexity and race-dependent (AC:H) so success is probabilistic rather than deterministic, and the issue is specific to the macOS Apex One agent - Windows or non-Apex-One deployments are not implicated by this CVE. |
| Impact | Signals are internally consistent and point to a genuine-but-not-urgent issue. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.0 High) requires local access, already-held low privileges, and a high-complexity race window, while granting total confidentiality/integrity/availability impact - matching SSVC's Technical Impact: total. Countervailing signals reduce priority: EPSS is 0.01% (2nd percentile), SSVC Exploitation is none, Automatable is no (the TOCTOU race is not reliably scriptable at scale), and there is no KEV listing. A ZDI advisory (ZDI-26-141) exists, but an advisory is not the same as public exploit code, and no POC is confirmed. Net: a legitimate local EoP worth patching on managed endpoints, not an internet-facing emergency. No conflicts between vector and description were found - both agree the flaw is local and requires prior low-privileged code execution. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has an unprivileged shell on a macOS endpoint (via phishing, a separate app bug, or a rogue local user) launches a process that repeatedly targets the file the iCore service verifies, then races to replace that file with a malicious payload in the narrow gap between the signature check and its use. On a successful race, the privileged iCore service acts on the attacker-controlled content, yielding code execution at elevated privilege. No public POC is identified, and the high attack complexity means the race may require many attempts to win. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 23, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Trend Micro Apex One (mac) agent stems from a race condition in the iCore service's signature verification routine, letting a low-privileged local attacker on affected macOS installations swap a verified file after the check but before use to run code with elevated (root-level) privileges. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and SSVC/EPSS signals both indicate exploitation has not been observed; Trend Micro credited its own team with the report and states the issue was already remediated through ActiveUpdate/SaaS releases in mid-to-late 2025.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: Trend Micro states the vulnerability was addressed through ActiveUpdate and SaaS updates in mid-to-late 2025, specifically SaaS 2507 and the 2005 Yearly Release, so the primary action is to ensure managed macOS agents have received current ActiveUpdate components and are running on the 2507/2005 (or later) build; consult https://success.trendmicro.com/en-US/solution/KA-0022458 and the ZDI advisory https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-141/ to confirm your build is remediated. Because delivery is via the product's own update channel, verify that ActiveUpdate connectivity is healthy on endpoints and force an update check rather than assuming auto-update completed. As an interim compensating control on any endpoint that cannot be immediately updated, restrict and monitor local code execution by non-privileged users (application allowlisting, limiting interactive/local accounts) to remove the attacker's required foothold, accepting the trade-off that this constrains legitimate local tooling; no standalone standalone patch beyond the update trains is required.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The affected component is the iCore service of the Trend Micro Apex One endpoint-protection agent for macOS (CPE cpe:2.3:a:trend_micro,_inc.:trendai_apex_one_(mac)). The root cause is CWE-367, Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU): the service validates a file's cryptographic signature at one moment (time-of-check) but then acts on that file later (time-of-use), leaving a window in which an attacker who can influence the referenced path or file contents substitutes malicious content that never underwent verification. Because the iCore service runs at high privilege to perform security operations, winning this race lets an unprivileged process have privileged code loaded or executed, a classic pattern for privilege escalation in signature-gated update/loader logic.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local vector and pre-existing low privileges give AV:L/PR:L; the TOCTOU race window makes success probabilistic, so AC:H; privileged service compromise yields C/I/A:H with unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (trendmicro).
CVSS VectorVendor: trendmicro
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in the Trend Micro Apex One (mac) agent iCore service signature verification 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.
The following information is provided as informational only for CVE references, as these were addressed already via ActiveUpdate/SaaS updates in mid to late 2025 (SaaS 2507 & 2005 Yearly Release).
Executive ViewAI
Trend Micro Apex One for macOS is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation that could grant administrative access; however, no public exploit has been identified. Trend Micro released remediation via automatic updates (mid-2025), so organizations on current versions face minimal risk; only unpatched systems remain exposed.
Apply vendor patch: Trend Micro Apex One ActiveUpdate/SaaS remediation (mid-to-late 2025). For systems pending patch application, restrict local system access and administrative privileges to minimize exploitation risk.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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