CVE-2021-23896

Administrator password disclosure via plaintext interface display

Published Jun 2, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Cleartext password exposure in McAfee Database Security before 4.8.2 allows remote authenticated users to view an Insights Server password. The administrator interface renders the configured credential without encryption or masking; Trellix has not disclosed the responsible code locus. An administrator session and user interaction are required, and the exposed account is restricted to Database Security data in Insights Server.

CVSS severity3.2
Low
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Cleartext password exposure in McAfee Database Security before 4.8.2 allows remote authenticated users to view an Insights Server password. The administrator interface renders the configured credential without encryption or masking; Trellix has not disclosed the responsible code locus. An administrator session and user interaction are required, and the exposed account is restricted to Database Security data in Insights Server.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23896
Published
Jun 2, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee Database Security
Classifications
CWE-319, T1555
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 2, 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 <4.8.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee Database Securityversion=unspecified <4.8.2

Published CVSS scores

4.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
3.2TrellixCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
2.7NIST NVDAV:A/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N

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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-319Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

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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