CVE-2023-41179 Trend Micro Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Oct 12, 2023
What to do
- Install Trend Micro's security update for Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Trend Micro Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Trend Micro Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security
- CISA description
- Trend Micro Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security contain an unspecified vulnerability in the third-party anti-virus uninstaller that could allow an attacker to manipulate the module to conduct remote code execution. An attacker must first obtain administrative console access on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection
- Confirmed exploited
- Sep 21, 2023
- US federal patch deadline
- Oct 12, 2023
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Answering about CVE-2023-41179 ·
Questions about CVE-2023-41179
Is CVE-2023-41179 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-41179 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Sep 21, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2023-41179?
Install Trend Micro's security update for Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-41179?
Only if you use Trend Micro Apex One and Worry-Free Business Security. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.