CVE-2024-49592

Local privilege escalation via unsecured library loading

Published Nov 15, 2024 · Updated Nov 27, 2024

Uncontrolled library search in McAfee Total Protection trial installer 16.0.53 allows local users to execute code as an administrator. The McAfee Direct Stub Installer loads a library from an unsecured location, enabling DLL squatting when an attacker controls the searched path. A local user must already run low-privileged code and obtain user interaction; exposure exists only while the legacy installer runs, and the installed product is not left vulnerable.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
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

Uncontrolled library search in McAfee Total Protection trial installer 16.0.53 allows local users to execute code as an administrator. The McAfee Direct Stub Installer loads a library from an unsecured location, enabling DLL squatting when an attacker controls the searched path. A local user must already run low-privileged code and obtain user interaction; exposure exists only while the legacy installer runs, and the installed product is not left vulnerable.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-49592
Published
Nov 15, 2024
Updated
Nov 27, 2024
Vendor
McAfee
Product
McAfee Total Protection
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 15, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 27, 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=16.0.53

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

McAfee · McAfee Total Protectionversion=16.0.53

Published CVSS scores

6.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/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.

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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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

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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