CVE-2021-25252

Service freeze via crafted-file memory exhaustion

Published Mar 3, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Memory exhaustion in Trend Micro Virus Scan API Engine 12.0 allows attackers to freeze a system by submitting a crafted file. The VSAPI and ATSE scan engines exhaust available memory while scanning the file; Trend Micro does not disclose the affected parser or faulty allocation operation. Reachability depends on the embedding product: endpoint exploitation requires machine access, while gateway products can process the file remotely.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory exhaustion in Trend Micro Virus Scan API Engine 12.0 allows attackers to freeze a system by submitting a crafted file. The VSAPI and ATSE scan engines exhaust available memory while scanning the file; Trend Micro does not disclose the affected parser or faulty allocation operation. Reachability depends on the embedding product: endpoint exploitation requires machine access, while gateway products can process the file remotely.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-25252
Published
Mar 3, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Trend Micro
Product
Trend Micro Virus Scan API (VSAPI) Engine
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 3, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=12.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Trend Micro · Trend Micro Virus Scan API (VSAPI) Engineversion=12.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
3.3Trend MicroCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
5.5Trend MicroCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
3.3Trend MicroCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
5.3Trend MicroCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
4.9NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
4.0Trend MicroCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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