CVE-2025-71212

SYSTEM code execution via symbolic-link file deletion

Published May 21, 2026 · Updated May 21, 2026

Link-following in Trend Micro Apex One before 14.0.0.14136 and Apex One as a Service before 14.0.20315 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The VSApiNt.sys driver in the Virus Scan Engine follows an attacker-created symbolic link when deleting a file, permitting deletion of an arbitrary target. Low-privileged code execution on a Windows endpoint is required; successful abuse yields arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.54%
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 before 14.0.0.14136 and Apex One as a Service before 14.0.20315 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The VSApiNt.sys driver in the Virus Scan Engine follows an attacker-created symbolic link when deleting a file, permitting deletion of an arbitrary target. Low-privileged code execution on a Windows endpoint is required; successful abuse yields arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71212
Published
May 21, 2026
Updated
May 21, 2026
Vendor
Trend Micro
Product
Apex One as a Service
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 21, 2026Record 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 <14.0.20315

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Trend Micro · Apex One as a Serviceversion=SaaS <14.0.20315
Trend Micro · Apex Oneversion=2019 (14.0) <14.0.0.14136

Published CVSS scores

7.8Trend Micro, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 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

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
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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