CVE-2021-28648

Root code execution via helper-tool connection

Published Apr 22, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Improper access control in Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac 10.5 and 11 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root. The com.trendmicro.AFM.HelperTool component accepts a connection from low-privileged code without enforcing the access control required for its privileged operations. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution on the Mac and grants full local privilege escalation within the application.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper access control in Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac 10.5 and 11 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root. The com.trendmicro.AFM.HelperTool component accepts a connection from low-privileged code without enforcing the access control required for its privileged operations. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution on the Mac and grants full local privilege escalation within the application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28648
Published
Apr 22, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Trend Micro
Product
Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 22, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=2021 (11), 2020 (10.5)

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Trend Micro · Trend Micro Antivirus for Macversion=2021 (11), 2020 (10.5)

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo