Urgent Security Alert: Critical Vulnerabilities in Trend Micro Apex One (CVE-2025-54948 & CVE-2025-54987)
Security teams are on high alert following the disclosure of two critical vulnerabilities within Trend Micro’s Apex One endpoint security platform. These flaws, identified as CVE-2025-54948 and CVE-2025-54987, could allow attackers to bypass security measures and execute malicious code on enterprise networks.
Given that Apex One is a tool designed to protect systems, vulnerabilities within the platform itself represent a significant and immediate threat. Organizations using this popular security solution must take swift action to mitigate their risk.
What’s the Risk? The Impact of Exploitation
These aren’t minor bugs; they are severe security gaps that could grant attackers deep access to your network. A compromised security agent can act as a gateway for broader, more devastating attacks, including ransomware deployment, data exfiltration, and persistent network access.
Let’s break down the specific threats posed by each vulnerability.
CVE-2025-54948: The Remote Code Execution Threat
This is the more severe of the two vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-54948 is a flaw that could lead to remote code execution (RCE). In simple terms, a remote attacker could potentially run arbitrary commands on a system where a vulnerable Apex One agent is installed.
Successful exploitation could give an adversary the ability to:
- Install malware, including ransomware or spyware.
- Modify or delete critical system files.
- Create new user accounts with administrative privileges.
- Move laterally across the network to compromise other assets.
An RCE vulnerability in a security product is a worst-case scenario, as it turns a protective tool into a potential weapon against the organization it’s meant to defend.
CVE-2025-54987: The Authentication Bypass Flaw
This vulnerability creates a loophole in the product’s security checks. CVE-2025-54987 is an authentication bypass vulnerability. An attacker could exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to certain components of the Apex One agent or management console without needing valid credentials.
While dangerous on its own, this type of vulnerability is often used as a stepping stone. An attacker might first bypass authentication using CVE-2025-54987 to gain an initial foothold, then leverage the RCE vulnerability (CVE-2025-54948) to achieve full system compromise.
Are You Affected? Identifying Vulnerable Versions
These vulnerabilities impact multiple versions of the Apex One platform. It is crucial to check if your deployment falls within the affected range.
The flaws have been confirmed in the following versions:
- Trend Micro Apex One (On-premise)
- Trend Micro Apex One as a Service (SaaS)
Specific build numbers and patch requirements have been released by the vendor. Administrators should immediately consult their Apex One management console to determine their current version and build.
Action Required: How to Secure Your Systems Now
Due to the critical nature of these vulnerabilities, immediate action is non-negotiable. Waiting to patch leaves your organization exposed to active exploitation attempts.
Follow these steps to secure your environment:
Identify Your Version: Log in to your Apex One or Apex Central console to determine the exact version and build number of your agents and server components.
Apply Patches Immediately: Trend Micro has released security patches to address both vulnerabilities. This is not a task to be delayed. Navigate to the official Trend Micro downloads page or use the update feature within your management console to deploy the latest security patch. For SaaS customers, the updates may be applied automatically, but it is essential to verify this.
Verify the Update: After deploying the patch, confirm that all agents and servers have been successfully updated to the new, secure version. Monitor the console for any agents that failed to update and remediate them manually.
Beyond the Patch: Best Practices for Endpoint Security
While patching is the most critical step, this incident is a powerful reminder that security is a multi-layered effort. To build a more resilient security posture, consider these additional best practices:
- Network Segmentation: Restrict communication to and from your security management servers. By limiting access, you reduce the attack surface an adversary can target.
- Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure that all user and service accounts have only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their functions. This can limit the damage an attacker can do if they gain control of an account.
- Continuous Monitoring: Keep a close eye on network logs and endpoint activity for any unusual behavior. Look for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) that might suggest an attacker is attempting to exploit these or other vulnerabilities.
In cybersecurity, proactive defense is the only effective strategy. The discovery of CVE-2025-54948 and CVE-2025-54987 underscores the importance of rigorous vulnerability management, especially for the very tools we trust to keep us safe. Patch your systems today.
Source: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/08/06/trend-micro-apex-one-flaws-exploted-in-the-wild-cve-2025-54948-cve-2025-54987/
