CVE-2025-49158
Trendmicro Apex One ≤ 14.0.14492
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-49158 is a medium-severity Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427) vulnerability in Trendmicro Apex One. Its CVSS base score is 6.7 (Medium).
Operationally, ranked at the 3th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-6 (Least Privilege) and SI-7 (Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-18527
Vulnerability Data
An uncontrolled search path vulnerability in the Trend Micro Apex One security agent could allow a local attacker to escalation privileges on affected installations. Please note: an attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target…
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system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces cryptographic or integrity verification of executable code and libraries before loading, directly blocking malicious components placed in an uncontrolled search path.
Restricts the Apex One agent to the minimal privileges required, so a successful search-path hijack cannot yield SYSTEM-level access.
Disables unnecessary search paths, DLL loading from user-writable directories, or unsigned modules that the vulnerability relies on.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-development practices directly address design of search paths and resource loading.
Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search-path settings and reduce exposure.
Execution allow-listing can block malicious binaries placed in hijackable search locations.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect uncontrolled search-path issues but does not prevent them by itself.
Restricting software installation reduces the chance that an attacker-controlled path element is introduced into the search path.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require explicit control over search paths and resource locations.
Secure coding practices directly address the use of fixed or controlled search paths that can be influenced by unintended actors.
Configuration management can enforce approved search-path settings but does not inherently prevent the weakness.