Improper privilege management in McAfee Total Protection
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.
Summary
Privilege Escalation vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.R26 allows local users to delete files the user would otherwise not have access to via manipulating symbolic links to redirect a McAfee delete action to an unintended file. This is achieved through running a malicious script or program on the target machine.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-7281
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2526-24jx-77pp
More McAfee Total Protection vulnerabilities
- TI-2021-06229 McAfee Total Protection (MTP) privilege escalation vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2020-05888 Improper privilege management in McAfee Total Protection CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2020-05933 Improper privilege management in McAfee Total Protection Trial CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2009-01282 The AV engine before DAT 5600 in McAfee VirusScan, Total Protection, Internet Security… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.6
- TI-2022-21485 McAfee Total Protection prior to version 16.0.49 contains an uncontrolled search path… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2020-05903 Total Protection (MTP) - Unexpected behavior violation CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2020-7281 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-7281 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2526-24jx-77pp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences