What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-71216?

CVE-2025-71216 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

Which versions of Apex One are affected by CVE-2025-71216?

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One for macOS allows low-privileged users to escalate to root access through a race condition in the agent's cache mechanism, exposing…

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2025-71216?

Within 24 hours, inventory all macOS endpoints running Trend Micro Apex One and isolate any systems showing suspicious privilege escalation activity; simultaneously enable enhanced logging for process execution and privilege changes. Within 7 days, deploy behavioral detection rules targeting race conditions in Apex One's cache operations and restrict execution of suspicious processes with elevated privileges; request interim guidance from Trend Micro on hardening recommendations. Within 30 days, establish a mandatory patch deployment plan upon vendor release and implement supplementary endpoint hardening including application whitelisting and privilege management tools to reduce local privilege escalation surface.

Apex One CVE-2025-71216

EUVD-2025-209916 HIGH

Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition (CWE-367)

2026-05-21 trendmicro

GHSA-7vc9-vx7c-89wf

Privilege Escalation Trend Micro Trendai Apex One Mac Trend Micro Inc

7.8

CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: trendmicro

Severity by source

Vendor (trendmicro) PRIMARY

7.8 HIGH

AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

vuln.today AI

7.0 HIGH

Local low-privileged access (AV:L/PR:L) with no user interaction; AC:H because winning the TOCTOU race window is required, yielding total endpoint compromise (C/I/A:H).

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (trendmicro).

CVSS VectorVendor: trendmicro

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Jul 23, 2026 - 17:28 vuln.today

CVE Published

May 21, 2026 - 13:02 cve.org

HIGH 7.8

CVE Published

May 21, 2026 - 13:02 nvd

UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in the Trend Micro Apex One (mac) agent cache mechanism 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).

AnalysisAI

Local privilege escalation in the Trend Micro Apex One (mac) endpoint agent lets a low-privileged user who already has code execution on a macOS host abuse a race condition in the agent's cache mechanism to gain full (root-level) control. The flaw was reported by Trend Micro/ZDI (ZDI-26-142) and carries a CVSS of 7.8; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, EPSS is negligible (0.01%), and CISA SSVC records exploitation status as none.

Technical ContextAI

The root cause is CWE-367, a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition. The affected component is the caching subsystem of the Apex One security agent for macOS (CPE cpe:2.3:a:trend_micro,_inc.:trendai_apex_one_(mac)). Because a security agent runs privileged helper processes, a validated property of a cached file or object (its path, ownership, or integrity) can change between the moment the agent checks it and the moment it acts on it. A local attacker who can influence the cached resource in that narrow window (e.g. by swapping a file for a symlink or a controlled object) causes the privileged agent to operate on attacker-controlled data, converting a validation check into an execution primitive that runs with the agent's elevated privileges.

RemediationAI

Trend Micro states this was already remediated through ActiveUpdate/SaaS updates in mid-to-late 2025 - specifically the SaaS 2507 release and the 2005 Yearly Release - so the primary action is to confirm agents have pulled the latest ActiveUpdate/pattern and program updates and that managed endpoints are reporting the fixed build; consult the vendor advisory at https://success.trendmicro.com/en-US/solution/KA-0022458 for exact build identifiers before treating a host as patched. Because delivery is via automatic update, ensure ActiveUpdate connectivity is healthy on macOS endpoints and that no update-suppression policy is stalling agents on an old build. As compensating controls until every agent is confirmed updated, restrict and monitor local/interactive access to macOS hosts (this vulnerability requires prior low-privileged code execution), and watch for unexpected privileged activity or file/symlink manipulation around the agent's cache directories; the trade-off is these controls reduce opportunity but do not close the race condition itself.