A vulnerability exists in Trend Micro Maximum Security 2022 (17.7) wherein a low-privileged user can write a known malicious executable to a specific location and in the process of removal and restoral an attacker could replace an original folder with a mount point to an arbitrary location, allowing a escalation of privileges on an affected system.

This vulnerability allows local attackers to delete arbitrary files on affected installations of Trend Micro Maximum Security. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the implementation of the Secure Erase feature. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied link prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to delete files in the context of SYSTEM.