CVE-2021-31854

Plain English Summary

AI-powered analysis for quick understanding

This vulnerability allows an attacker to run their own commands on a Windows system by tricking McAfee Agent into executing a malicious file. To exploit it, the attacker needs local access to the machine and must place a specially crafted file in the right folder, which can then lead to gaining higher privileges on the system.

Technical Description

A command Injection Vulnerability in McAfee Agent (MA) for Windows prior to 5.7.5 allows local users to inject arbitrary shell code into the file cleanup.exe. The malicious clean.exe file is placed into the relevant folder and executed by running the McAfee Agent deployment feature located in the System Tree. An attacker may exploit the vulnerability to obtain a reverse shell which can lead to privilege escalation to obtain root privileges.

CVSS Vector Analysis

Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionRequired
Confidentiality ImpactHigh
Integrity ImpactHigh
Availability ImpactHigh
ScopeUnchanged

Vector String

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploit Resources

Search for proof-of-concept code and exploit modules

Official References

Est. Bounty
$2,684($1K-$5K)
Vendor Response
Grade FPatched in 1497 days

Quick Information

Published

Jan 19, 2022

about 4 years ago

Last Modified

Feb 24, 2026

about 1 month ago

Vendor

mcafee

Product

agent

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