TrendAI Apex One Agent Vulnerable to Local Privilege Escalation
A Time-Of-Check Time-Of-Use vulnerability in TrendAI's Apex One Security Agent allows local attackers to escalate privileges, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
A critical vulnerability has been identified in TrendAI's Apex One Security Agent, a widely used endpoint security solution. The flaw, designated ZDI-26-653 and tracked as CVE-2025-71415, permits local attackers to escalate their privileges on affected systems. This means an attacker who has already gained a foothold on a machine with low-level access can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their permissions to a much higher level.
The vulnerability stems from an issue within the agent's cache mechanism, specifically related to improper cache key checking during signature verification. This Time-Of-Check Time-Of-Use (TOCTOU) flaw allows an attacker to manipulate the verification process, ultimately enabling them to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), which disclosed the vulnerability, has assigned it a CVSS score of 7.8, indicating a high severity.
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first achieve low-privileged code execution on the target system. This prerequisite could be met through various means, such as exploiting another vulnerability, tricking a user into running malicious code, or leveraging misconfigurations. Once initial access is gained, the attacker can then proceed to exploit the TOCTOU flaw in the Apex One Security Agent to gain elevated control.
TrendAI has acknowledged the vulnerability and has released an update to address the issue. Users of TrendAI Apex One Security Agent are strongly advised to apply the available patch as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vendor's advisory provides specific details on the update and its deployment.
The vulnerability was initially reported to TrendAI on October 29, 2025. Following a coordinated disclosure process, the advisory was publicly released on September 10, 2026, with an update to the advisory also published on the same date. This timeline indicates a significant period between the initial report and public disclosure, allowing TrendAI ample time to develop and distribute a fix.
The discovery and reporting of this vulnerability are credited to Lays, also known as @_L4ys, from TRAPA Security. This highlights the ongoing efforts of independent security researchers and firms in identifying and reporting critical flaws in widely deployed software.
This vulnerability underscores the persistent threat of privilege escalation flaws in security software itself. Attackers often target security agents as a high-value target, as compromising them can grant broad access and potentially disable security protections. Organizations must remain vigilant in patching all software, including security solutions, to defend against such attacks.
The implications of a successful privilege escalation attack can be severe, ranging from data theft and system compromise to the deployment of further malicious payloads. By gaining root access, an attacker can bypass security controls, modify system configurations, and establish persistent access, making it crucial for organizations to prioritize the patching of vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-71415.
This advisory, ZDI-26-652, details a specific Time-Of-Check Time-Of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerability within the cache mechanism of TrendAI Apex One Security Agent. The flaw stems from inadequate cache key checking during signature verification, allowing a low-privileged attacker to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code as root. The vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2025-71416 and carries a CVSS score of 7.8.
This new advisory, ZDI-26-654, details a specific local privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2025-71414) within the TmccCore component of TrendAI Apex One Security Agent. The flaw stems from improper handling of process termination, allowing attackers with initial low-privilege code execution to escalate to root privileges. TrendAI has released an update to address this issue, and the vulnerability was reported to the vendor on October 8, 2025, with coordinated public release on September 10, 2026.