CVE-2023-34145 : What You Need to Know

A detailed overview of CVE-2023-34145 focusing on the untrusted search path vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One and Apex One as a Service security agent that could lead to privilege escalation.

Understanding CVE-2023-34145

In this section, we will delve into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies related to CVE-2023-34145.

What is CVE-2023-34145?

CVE-2023-34145 involves an untrusted search path vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One and Apex One as a Service security agent. This flaw could be exploited by a local attacker to escalate their privileges on affected installations.

The Impact of CVE-2023-34145

The primary impact of CVE-2023-34145 is the potential for a local attacker to elevate their privileges on systems running the vulnerable versions of Trend Micro Apex One.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-34145

Let's explore the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One allows a local attacker to escalate their privileges by exploiting an untrusted search path issue. Notably, the attacker must first execute low-privileged code on the target system for successful exploitation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Trend Micro Apex One versions 2019 (prior to 14.0.0.12033) are impacted by CVE-2023-34145, exposing them to the privilege escalation vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit CVE-2023-34145, an attacker needs the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system before leveraging the untrusted search path vulnerability to escalate their privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Outlined below are essential steps to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2023-34145, safeguarding systems from potential risks.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Trend Micro Apex One to a secure version above 14.0.0.12033 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor and audit system files and directories for suspicious activity to detect potential exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict access rights based on job necessities, reducing the impact of privilege escalation attacks.
Educate employees on best security practices to prevent the execution of low-privileged code by unauthorized entities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and patches released by Trend Micro to promptly apply necessary updates and fixes, ensuring enhanced protection against vulnerabilities.