CVE-2021-23872

Local privilege escalation via IOCTL symbolic-link resolution

Published May 12, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Link following in the File Lock component of McAfee Total Protection before 16.0.32 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The File Lock IOCTL interface resolves an attacker-controlled symbolic link to an unintended file instead of rejecting the link before file access. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and grants elevated control over affected file and system operations.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link following in the File Lock component of McAfee Total Protection before 16.0.32 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The File Lock IOCTL interface resolves an attacker-controlled symbolic link to an unintended file instead of rejecting the link before file access. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and grants elevated control over affected file and system operations.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23872
Published
May 12, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee Total Protection
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 12, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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=unspecified <16.0.32

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee Total Protectionversion=unspecified <16.0.32

Published CVSS scores

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

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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