CVE-2025-54948 is a critical OS command injection vulnerability identified in the on-premise management console of Trend Micro Apex One, version 2019 (14.0). This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands without any authentication or user interaction. The root cause is a command injection flaw (CWE-78) in the management console, which accepts and processes input in an unsafe manner, enabling an attacker to upload malicious code and execute it remotely. Given the management console's privileged position in controlling endpoint security, exploitation could lead to full compromise of the security infrastructure, allowing attackers to disable protections, move laterally within networks, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The CVSS v3.1 score of 9.4 reflects the high impact on confidentiality and availability, with low attack complexity and no required privileges or user interaction. Although no public exploits are currently known, the severity and ease of exploitation make this a significant threat to organizations using this product.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is substantial. Trend Micro Apex One is widely used in enterprise environments for endpoint protection and threat management. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized control over endpoint security controls, potentially allowing attackers to bypass defenses, deploy malware, or disrupt business operations. This could result in data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, disruption of security infrastructure could impair incident response capabilities during ongoing attacks. The vulnerability's pre-authentication nature means attackers can target exposed management consoles directly, increasing risk especially for organizations with internet-facing management interfaces or insufficient network segmentation. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government in Europe, which rely heavily on endpoint security, could face severe operational and compliance consequences.

Immediate mitigation steps include isolating the management console from direct internet exposure by enforcing strict network segmentation and access controls. Organizations should implement VPN or zero-trust access models to restrict console access to trusted internal users only. Monitoring and logging of management console activities should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should engage with Trend Micro support for any available workarounds or hotfixes. Additionally, applying application-layer firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block command injection patterns can provide a temporary defense. Regularly auditing and hardening the management console configuration, disabling unnecessary services, and enforcing least privilege principles for console access will further reduce risk. Once a patch is released, prompt application is critical to eliminate the vulnerability.