CVE-2018-6674 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2018-6674, a privilege escalation vulnerability in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) allowing local users to spawn processes with elevated privileges. Find out the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.
A vulnerability concerning privilege escalation has been discovered in the Microsoft Windows client (McTray.exe) of McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) 8.8 before Patch 13. This vulnerability enables local users to generate unrelated processes with elevated privileges.
Understanding CVE-2018-6674
This CVE identifies a privilege escalation vulnerability in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) when McTray.exe runs with elevated privileges.
What is CVE-2018-6674?
The vulnerability allows local users to spawn unrelated processes with elevated privileges by exploiting the way McTray.exe operates with elevated privileges.
The Impact of CVE-2018-6674
- CVSS Base Score: 6.8 (Medium Severity)
- Attack Vector: Physical
- Attack Complexity: High
- Privileges Required: High
- User Interaction: Required
- Scope: Changed
- Confidentiality Impact: High
- Integrity Impact: High
- Availability Impact: High
Technical Details of CVE-2018-6674
This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) 8.8 before Patch 13 allows local users to escalate privileges by creating unrelated processes.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Affected Platforms: Windows
- Affected Product: VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) 8.8
- Affected Version: 8.8 (custom version less than Patch 13)
Exploitation Mechanism
The vulnerability occurs when the system administrator grants McTray.exe elevated privileges, enabling users to exploit this to run processes with elevated privileges.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protect your systems from this vulnerability by following these steps:
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply the necessary security patches provided by McAfee.
- Monitor and restrict user privileges to minimize the impact of privilege escalation.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access rights.
- Regularly update and patch all software to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Patching and Updates
- Ensure that all systems running McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) are updated to at least Patch 13 to mitigate this vulnerability.