Trend Micro Warns of Critical Apex Central RCE Vulnerability
Summary:
Network defenders should immediately prioritize the remediation of a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex Central (on-premise), tracked as CVE-2025-69258. This flaw originates from a LoadLibraryEX vulnerability within the MsgReceiver[.]exe process, which typically listens on TCP port 20001.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending a specially crafted message to the service, allowing for the injection of a malicious DLL. Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution under the context of SYSTEM privileges, effectively granting the attacker full control over the management console and, potentially, the security posture of all downstream managed endpoints.
The attack requires low complexity and no user interaction, its impact is severe as it compromises the central "brain" of the organizational security infrastructure.
A public Proof of Concept (PoC) available, but as of today, there are no confirmed reports of active exploitation in the wild.
Security Officer Comments:
Trend Micro Apex Central is an enterprise-grade management console designed for organizations that need a single interface to manage complex security environments.
To mitigate the risks associated with the Trend Micro Apex Central RCE vulnerability (CVE-2025-69258) and similar critical flaws in management infrastructure, network defenders should implement the following tiered strategies
Link(s):
https://success.trendmicro.com/en-US/solution/KA-0022071
Network defenders should immediately prioritize the remediation of a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex Central (on-premise), tracked as CVE-2025-69258. This flaw originates from a LoadLibraryEX vulnerability within the MsgReceiver[.]exe process, which typically listens on TCP port 20001.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending a specially crafted message to the service, allowing for the injection of a malicious DLL. Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution under the context of SYSTEM privileges, effectively granting the attacker full control over the management console and, potentially, the security posture of all downstream managed endpoints.
The attack requires low complexity and no user interaction, its impact is severe as it compromises the central "brain" of the organizational security infrastructure.
A public Proof of Concept (PoC) available, but as of today, there are no confirmed reports of active exploitation in the wild.
Security Officer Comments:
Trend Micro Apex Central is an enterprise-grade management console designed for organizations that need a single interface to manage complex security environments.
- Managed Service Providers (MSPs): MSPs are among the most common users because the platform allows them to manage security for dozens or hundreds of different client companies from a single console. The RCE vulnerability is particularly dangerous for them because a breach of the MSP’s console could grant an attacker access to all of their customers' networks.
- Large Enterprises and Global Corporations: Companies with thousands of endpoints (laptops, servers, and virtual machines) spread across different geographic locations use Apex Central to ensure consistent security policies are applied globally and to aggregate threat data for their Security Operations Centers (SOC).
- Regulated Industries (Finance, Healthcare, and Government): Organizations in these sectors have strict compliance requirements (like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or GDPR). They use Apex Central for its robust logging and reporting capabilities, which provide the audit trails necessary to prove that all systems are patched and protected.
- Critical Infrastructure and Manufacturing: Because Apex Central offers an on-premise version, it is favored by organizations with sensitive "air-gapped" or highly controlled internal networks that cannot rely solely on cloud-based management for their endpoint security.
- Medium-to-Large Businesses with Remote Workforces: For companies with a distributed workforce, Apex Central (when paired with Apex One) provides the visibility needed to monitor the security health of employee devices that are rarely "in the office" but are still connected to corporate resources.
To mitigate the risks associated with the Trend Micro Apex Central RCE vulnerability (CVE-2025-69258) and similar critical flaws in management infrastructure, network defenders should implement the following tiered strategies
- Apply the Critical Patch: The primary mitigation is upgrading to Apex Central Critical Patch Build 7190 (or the latest available version). This addresses the root cause in the MsgReceiver[.]exe process.
- Restrict Port Access: Immediately block or restrict access to TCP Port 20001. This port should never be exposed to the public internet. Access should be limited via hardware firewalls or Windows Firewall to a strictly defined "Allow List" of internal management IP addresses or administrative jump boxes.
- Isolate the Management Console: Move the Apex Central server into a dedicated, isolated management VLAN. This ensures that even if the console is compromised, lateral movement to the rest of the production environment is significantly hindered.
Link(s):
https://success.trendmicro.com/en-US/solution/KA-0022071