# CVE-2025-52521: Path traversal in Trend Micro Security (Consumer)

> A local attacker can exploit link following to delete privileged Trend Micro files, leading to privilege escalation or service disruption.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f8gc-2mmp-fjwc

## What is CVE-2025-52521?

CVE-2025-52521 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Trend Micro Security (Consumer), published on 10 Jul 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Trend Micro Security 17.8 (Consumer) is vulnerable to a link following local privilege escalation vulnerability that could allow a local attacker to unintentionally delete privileged Trend Micro files including its own.

Weakness: CWE-64 (Windows Shortcut Following (.LNK))

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-52521?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Trendmicro Maximum Security 2022.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-52521?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-52521 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-52521 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-52521 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Trend Micro Security (Consumer)

- [CVE-2025-49384](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49384/): Path traversal in Trend Micro Internet Security (Consumer) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-49385](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49385/): Path traversal in Trend Micro Internet Security (Consumer) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-32849](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32849/): Privilege escalation in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-30687](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-30687/): Path traversal in Trend Micro Maximum Security (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2022-48191](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48191/): Race condition in Trend Micro Maxium Security (Consumer) (high 7.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-52521 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-52521 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Trend Micro Security (Consumer), published on 10 Jul 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-52521 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Trend Micro Security (Consumer). No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52521/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52521/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-52521
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-52521
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-52521

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52521/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.