Trend Micro Maximum Security Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

A link following local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in Trend Micro Maximum Security version 17.8. This vulnerability allows local attackers to unintentionally delete privileged Trend Micro files, including those belonging to the application itself. The issue arises within the 'Regain Disk Space' functionality, where an attacker can create a junction to manipulate the Platinum Host Service, potentially leading to unauthorized file deletions. Exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM rights.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the SYSTEM user.

Remediation

Trend Micro has released an update to address this vulnerability. Users can update to Trend Micro Maximum Security version 17.8.1476. For more information, visit the Trend Micro Help Center article TMKA-18876.