CVE-2023-47202 is a high severity local file inclusion flaw on the Trend Micro Apex One management server, scored 7.8. An insecure path reaches a PHP include in the web console, which can give code execution to someone already on the host. Apply Apex One SP1 Critical Patch 12526.
What's affected
Trend Micro's security bulletin for Apex One, dated 6 November 2023, lists Apex One 2019 (on premises) and Apex One as a Service, both on Windows. The minimum fixed levels are Apex One Service Pack 1 Critical Patch 12526 for on premises installs, and the September 2023 monthly patch (202309) with agent version 14.0.12737 for the as a service edition. Trend Micro advises moving to the latest version if a newer one exists.
This entry is CVE-2023-47202, a local file inclusion flaw on the Apex One management server, not the agent. Per the Zero Day Initiative, the issue is in the Apex One web console, where an insecure path is passed to a PHP include function. A local attacker who can already run low-privileged code can use it to escalate privileges and execute code in the context of IUSR, the web server account.
Dates differ across sources, and it is worth knowing why. The Zero Day Initiative advisory ZDI-23-1621 was released on 14 November 2023, the bulletin is dated 6 November 2023, and the NVD record shows 23 January 2024. These are different events for the same issue, so do not read the NVD date as the date a fix appeared. Severity matches across sources, 7.8 High, with a local vector.
The NVD record was published on 2024-01-23, scores 7.8 (High), and carries the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Weakness class: CWE-552.
How to check if you're exposed
Apex One agents and the management server are managed from the console, so the check is a version comparison, not a command.
- Open the Apex One management console and review the version of the management server and the agents.
- For on premises installs, confirm that Service Pack 1 Critical Patch 12526 or later is applied, using the readme linked from Trend Micro's bulletin.
- For Apex One as a Service, confirm the agent version is 14.0.12737 or later and the September 2023 monthly patch is in place.
- Sort agents by version and find the machines that are behind, especially shared workstations and servers.
Because this is on the management server, focus on that host. Agent versions matter less here than the server's patch level.
What to do now
- Read Trend Micro's bulletin and note the minimum patch for your edition.
- Apply the patch to the management server first, then deploy updated agents.
- Find agents that did not update, such as machines that are offline or excluded from policy, and bring them current.
- Test the new self protection behavior. Trend Micro warns that apps not signed by Trend Micro or Microsoft that inject into other processes may be blocked, so add exceptions for trusted tools through the documented process.
- Review who can run code as a standard user on important machines, since every attack in this family starts there.
Why it matters
A PHP include loads another file and runs it as part of the page. If an attacker influences the path, the page may run a file they chose. That is why file inclusion bugs count as code execution risks. The record tags this one CWE-552, files or directories accessible to external parties.
The management server controls security policy for every endpoint, so a foothold there deserves attention even when it begins as the web server account. Limit who can log on to the server locally, and keep other software off it, since the attack needs the ability to run low-privileged code.
In the Trend Micro bulletin, this is the only item that targets the server rather than the agent. The record's KEV flag is false, so this CVE is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list.
Quick check
Is the agent or the server affected?
This CVE is described as a flaw on the Apex One management server. The other ten CVEs in the bulletin affect the security agent.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
