CVE-2021-23882

Incomplete installation via prepositioned crafted files

Published Feb 10, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Access control weakness in McAfee Endpoint Security for Windows before the 10.7.0 February 2021 Update lets local administrators block ENS files. During a clean installation, the installer accepts attacker-created files already placed in ENS destination paths instead of protecting those paths before writing its files. Administrator rights and a clean-installation opportunity are required; exploitation leaves selected security files absent from the new installation.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Access control weakness in McAfee Endpoint Security for Windows before the 10.7.0 February 2021 Update lets local administrators block ENS files. During a clean installation, the installer accepts attacker-created files already placed in ENS destination paths instead of protecting those paths before writing its files. Administrator rights and a clean-installation opportunity are required; exploitation leaves selected security files absent from the new installation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23882
Published
Feb 10, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee Endpoint Security for Windows
Classifications
CWE-269, T1562.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 10, 2021CVE 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=10.7.x <10.7.0 February 2021

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee Endpoint Security for Windowsversion=10.7.x <10.7.0 February 2021

Published CVSS scores

4.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
1.9NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
8.2TrellixCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1562.001Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo