CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-45208NVD status: Analyzed

TrendAI Apex One: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-45208 is a high-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in TrendAI Apex One from Trend Micro, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version 14.0.0.17079 as the first without the flaw, so updating TrendAI Apex One to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.3% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update TrendAI Apex One to 14.0.0.17079 or a later version.
  2. Update TrendAI Apex One as a Service to 14.0.20731 or a later version.
  3. Update Apex One to 14.0.0.17079 or 14.0.20731, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on success.trendmicro.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Trend MicroTrendAI Apex One2019 (14.0) up to, but not including, 14.0.0.1707914.0.0.17079
Trend MicroTrendAI Apex One as a ServiceSaaS up to, but not including, 14.0.2073114.0.20731
Trend MicroApex Onebefore 14.0.0.17079; before 14.0.2073114.0.0.17079, 14.0.20731

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (trendmicro.com).

Official description

A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in the Apex One/SEP agent could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on affected installations. Please note: an attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
  • When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
  • Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.

More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in TrendAI Apex One

All TrendAI Apex One vulnerabilities

Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities

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