CVE-2021-28649

Local privilege escalation via writable scan folder

Published May 12, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Incorrect permissions in the installer for Trend Micro HouseCall for Home Networks 5.3.1179 and earlier allow local users to escalate privileges. The installer creates product folders with permissions that let an attacker place arbitrary code where an administrator's scan will execute it. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution and an administrator running a scan, resulting in arbitrary code execution with administrator rights.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.26%
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

Incorrect permissions in the installer for Trend Micro HouseCall for Home Networks 5.3.1179 and earlier allow local users to escalate privileges. The installer creates product folders with permissions that let an attacker place arbitrary code where an administrator's scan will execute it. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution and an administrator running a scan, resulting in arbitrary code execution with administrator rights.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28649
Published
May 12, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Trend Micro
Product
Trend Micro HouseCall for Home Networks
Classifications
CWE-276, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 12, 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=5.3.1179 and below

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Trend Micro · Trend Micro HouseCall for Home Networksversion=5.3.1179 and below

Published CVSS scores

7.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NVDAV:L/AC:M/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
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