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CVE-2021-23874

McAfee Total Protection (MTP) Improper Privilege Management

8.2 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 1.03%
  1. Published10 Feb 2021
  2. Added to CISA KEV3 Nov 2021
  3. Remediation due17 Nov 2021
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

McAfee Total Protection (MTP) contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute code, bypassing MTP self-defense.

Added to KEV: 3 Nov 2021Federal remediation due: 17 Nov 2021

Description

Arbitrary Process Execution vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.30 allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code bypassing MTP self-defense.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Mcafee Total Protection< 16.0.30

Remediation

Fixed in
Mcafee Total Protection≥ 16.0.30

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2021-23874 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-23874 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.

How severe is CVE-2021-23874?

CVE-2021-23874 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2, rated high. EPSS estimates a 1.03% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2021-23874?

Affected products include Mcafee Total Protection.

How do I fix CVE-2021-23874?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Mcafee Total Protection 16.0.30 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-23874 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.