Trend Micro Addresses Critical Vulnerabilities in Apex Central and Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer

Trend Micro Addresses Critical Vulnerabilities in Apex Central and Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer

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Trend Micro, a leader in cybersecurity solutions, recently tackled a series of critical vulnerabilities in its products, notably Apex Central and Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer. These vulnerabilities, if left unpatched, could allow attackers to execute remote code and bypass authentication, posing severe risks to enterprise environments. The vulnerabilities have been assigned CVE identifiers, underscoring their severity and potential impact. For instance, the Apex Central vulnerabilities, identified as CVE-2025-49219 and CVE-2025-49220, are pre-authentication remote code execution flaws that allow attackers to execute code without requiring authentication. These vulnerabilities have been addressed in Patch B7007 for Apex Central 2019. (BleepingComputer)

Overview of Vulnerabilities

Critical Vulnerabilities in Trend Micro Products

Trend Micro has recently addressed several critical vulnerabilities in its products, specifically focusing on Apex Central and Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer. These vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow attackers to execute remote code and bypass authentication mechanisms, posing significant risks to enterprise environments. The vulnerabilities have been identified and assigned CVE identifiers, highlighting their severity and potential impact.

Understanding CVE and CVSS

CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifiers are unique codes assigned to publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. They help in tracking and addressing these issues systematically. CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) scores provide a numerical representation of the severity of a vulnerability, helping organizations prioritize their response.

Apex Central Vulnerabilities

Apex Central, a centralized security management console, was found to have two critical-severity vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are pre-authentication remote code execution (RCE) flaws, which allow attackers to execute code without requiring authentication. The specific vulnerabilities are:

  • CVE-2025-49219: This vulnerability exists in the GetReportDetailView method of Apex Central, caused by insecure deserialization. Exploiting this flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute code in the context of NETWORK SERVICE. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.8, indicating its critical nature. (BleepingComputer)

  • CVE-2025-49220: Similar to the previous vulnerability, this flaw is also a pre-authentication RCE in Apex Central, found in the ConvertFromJson method. Improper input validation during deserialization enables attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely without authentication. This vulnerability also carries a CVSS score of 9.8. (BleepingComputer)

These vulnerabilities were addressed in Patch B7007 for Apex Central 2019 (on-premise), while updates are automatically applied on the backend for Apex Central as a Service. (Trend Micro Security Bulletin)

Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer Vulnerabilities

The Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer, which provides full disk encryption and removable media encryption for Windows-based endpoints, also had multiple critical vulnerabilities. These include:

  • CVE-2025-49212: A pre-authentication remote code execution flaw caused by insecure deserialization in the PolicyValueTableSerializationBinder class. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM without requiring login. (BleepingComputer)

  • CVE-2025-49213: Another pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability in the PolicyServerWindowsService class, stemming from the deserialization of untrusted data. Attackers can run arbitrary code as SYSTEM with no authentication required. (BleepingComputer)

  • CVE-2025-49216: An authentication bypass flaw in the DbAppDomain service due to a broken authentication implementation. Remote attackers can fully bypass login and perform admin-level actions without credentials. (BleepingComputer)

  • CVE-2025-49217: A pre-authentication RCE vulnerability in the ValidateToken method, triggered by unsafe deserialization. While slightly harder to exploit, it still allows unauthenticated attackers to run code as SYSTEM. (BleepingComputer)

These vulnerabilities were addressed in version 6.0.0.4013 (Patch 1 Update 6) of the Endpoint Encryption PolicyServer. The flaws impact all versions up to the latest, and there are no mitigations or workarounds for them. (BleepingComputer)

Impact and Mitigation

The vulnerabilities identified in Trend Micro’s products pose significant risks, especially in enterprise environments that rely on these solutions for data protection and compliance. The critical nature of these vulnerabilities, as indicated by their high CVSS scores, underscores the importance of timely patching and updates.

Trend Micro has emphasized the need for immediate application of security updates to mitigate these risks. The company has also noted that there is no evidence of active exploitation in the wild for any of these vulnerabilities. However, the potential for exploitation remains high, given the nature of the flaws. (BleepingComputer)

Importance of Timely Updates

The recent vulnerabilities in Trend Micro’s products highlight the critical importance of timely updates and patch management. Organizations using these products must ensure that they apply the latest patches to protect against potential exploits. This is particularly crucial for enterprises in regulated industries where compliance with data protection standards is mandatory. (BleepingComputer)

Conclusion

While Trend Micro has addressed these vulnerabilities, the incident serves as a reminder of the ever-present threat landscape and the need for robust security practices. Organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity, ensuring that they are equipped to handle emerging threats and vulnerabilities. The importance of timely updates cannot be overstated, especially in regulated industries where compliance with data protection standards is mandatory. Trend Micro’s swift response highlights the critical role of patch management in safeguarding enterprise environments. (BleepingComputer)

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