CVE-2025-49156

SYSTEM code execution via symbolic-link file creation

Published Jun 17, 2025 · Updated Jun 17, 2025

Link-following in Trend Micro Apex One 2019 before 14.0.0.14002 and SaaS before 14.0.14492 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The VsapiNT.sys kernel driver accepts an attacker-created symbolic link and creates an arbitrary file through the redirected path. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution and an administrator-selected, non-default malware remediation action; successful abuse grants SYSTEM execution.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in Trend Micro Apex One 2019 before 14.0.0.14002 and SaaS before 14.0.14492 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The VsapiNT.sys kernel driver accepts an attacker-created symbolic link and creates an arbitrary file through the redirected path. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution and an administrator-selected, non-default malware remediation action; successful abuse grants SYSTEM execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-49156
Published
Jun 17, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2025
Vendor
Trend Micro
Product
Apex One as a Service
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 17, 2025Record 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=SaaS <14.0.14492

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Trend Micro · Apex One as a Serviceversion=SaaS <14.0.14492
Trend Micro · Apex Oneversion=2019 (14.0) <14.0.0.14002

Published CVSS scores

7.0Trend MicroCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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-269Improper Privilege Management
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

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Your stack

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