How severe is CVE-2018-6232?

CVE-2018-6232 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-6232 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (39th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-6232?

CVE-2018-6232 primarily affects Trendmicro Antivirus+. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-6232?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-6232 published?

CVE-2018-6232 was published on 2018-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-6232

CVE-2018-6232 is a high-severity vulnerability in Trendmicro Antivirus+ with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (39th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Trendmicro Antivirus+
Published: 2018-05-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A buffer overflow privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations due to a flaw within processing of IOCTL 0x22205C by the tmnciesc.sys driver. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-6232?: A buffer overflow privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations due to a flaw within processing of IOCTL 0x22205C by the tmnciesc.sys driver. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2018-6232?: CVE-2018-6232 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-6232 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (39th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-6232?: CVE-2018-6232 primarily affects Trendmicro Antivirus+. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-6232?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-6232 published?: CVE-2018-6232 was published on 2018-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:trendmicro:antivirus\+:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:trendmicro:internet_security:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:trendmicro:maximum_security:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:trendmicro:premium_security:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Trendmicro Antivirus+

CVE-2018-6235 — High (CVSS 7.8): An Out-of-Bounds write privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could allow a…
CVE-2018-6233 — High (CVSS 7.8): A buffer overflow privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could allow a…
CVE-2018-6236 — High (CVSS 7.0): A Time-of-Check Time-of-Use privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could…
CVE-2017-5565 — Medium (CVSS 6.7): Code injection vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security 11.0 (and earlier), Internet Security 11.0 (and earlier),…
CVE-2018-6234 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): An Out-of-Bounds Read Information Disclosure vulnerability in Trend Micro Maximum Security (Consumer) 2018 could allow…

All CVEs affecting Trendmicro Antivirus+ →

Other CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-48611 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): In DeviceId of DeviceId.java, there is a possible desync in persistence due to a missing bounds check. This could lead…
CVE-2026-24823 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in FASTSHIFT…
CVE-2026-24810 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in rethinkdb (src/cjson modules).…
CVE-2026-24800 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in tildearrow…
CVE-2025-9962 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A buffer overflow vulnerability in Novakon P series allows attackers to gain root permission without prior…
CVE-2010-10016 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): BS.Player version 2.57 (build 1051) contains a vulnerability in its playlist import functionality. When processing .m3u…

Browse all CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities →