CVE-2020-7280Known exploitation

Local privilege escalation via DAT update junction

Published Jun 10, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Privilege escalation in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.8.x before Patch 15 allows local users to overwrite protected files during DAT updates. Log-file processing follows attacker-created junctions, redirecting update writes to chosen paths and enabling deletion or creation of files beyond the user's permissions. Exploitation is timing dependent and requires local low-privileged code; successful abuse can execute code as SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.8.x before Patch 15 allows local users to overwrite protected files during DAT updates. Log-file processing follows attacker-created junctions, redirecting update writes to chosen paths and enabling deletion or creation of files beyond the user's permissions. Exploitation is timing dependent and requires local low-privileged code; successful abuse can execute code as SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-7280
Published
Jun 10, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee VirusScan Enterprise
Classifications
CWE-59, T1574.005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 10, 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=8.8.x <8.8 Patch 15

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee VirusScan Enterpriseversion=8.8.x <8.8 Patch 15

Published CVSS scores

7.8Trend Micro Zero Day InitiativeCVSS: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 exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1574.005Path Interception by File System Link

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.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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