CVE-2018-6236 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A security flaw has been identified in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018, allowing a local attacker to escalate privileges due to a vulnerability in the Time-of-Check Time-of-Use privilege escalation feature.

Understanding CVE-2018-6236

This CVE involves a privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018.

What is CVE-2018-6236?

The vulnerability is related to the processing of IOCTL 0x222813 by the tmusa driver, potentially enabling a local attacker to gain higher privileges on compromised systems.

The Impact of CVE-2018-6236

The flaw could allow an attacker to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations by exploiting the Time-of-Check Time-of-Use privilege escalation feature.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-6236

This section provides detailed technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability exists in the implementation of a Time-of-Check Time-of-Use privilege escalation feature in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Trend Micro Maximum Security
Vendor: Trend Micro
Affected Version: 2018

Exploitation Mechanism

The flaw resides in the processing of IOCTL 0x222813 by the tmusa driver.
To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must already have the ability to execute code with low privileges on the affected system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-6236 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Trend Micro promptly.
Monitor for any unusual activities on the system.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access.
Regularly update and patch software to address security vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by Trend Micro.
Ensure timely installation of updates to mitigate the risk of exploitation.