CVE-2020-7250

Local privilege escalation via log-directory symlink redirection

Published Apr 15, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Symbolic-link manipulation in McAfee Endpoint Security 10.x allows local users to gain elevated privileges through crafted links. ENS follows attacker-created links in its Windows log-file directory when writing logs, redirecting privileged writes to files the account cannot normally alter. An authenticated local account and interaction with ENS are required, and successful exploitation permits modification of protected files with ENS privileges.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Symbolic-link manipulation in McAfee Endpoint Security 10.x allows local users to gain elevated privileges through crafted links. ENS follows attacker-created links in its Windows log-file directory when writing logs, redirecting privileged writes to files the account cannot normally alter. An authenticated local account and interaction with ENS are required, and successful exploitation permits modification of protected files with ENS privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-7250
Published
Apr 15, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee Endpoint Security
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.x <10.7.0 April 2020 Update

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee Endpoint Securityversion=10.x <10.7.0 April 2020 Update

Published CVSS scores

4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
8.2TrellixCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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