CVE-2017-3897 in McAfee Live Safe
Summary
by MITRE
A Code Injection vulnerability in the non-certificate-based authentication mechanism in McAfee Live Safe versions prior to 16.0.3 and McAfee Security Scan Plus (MSS+) versions prior to 3.11.599.3 allows network attackers to perform a malicious file execution via a HTTP backend-response.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-3897 represents a critical code injection flaw within the authentication mechanisms of McAfee Live Safe and McAfee Security Scan Plus products. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 16.0.3 for Live Safe and 3.11.599.3 for MSS+ installations. The flaw resides in the non-certificate-based authentication system which is designed to verify user credentials without relying on traditional certificate infrastructure. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP backend responses that contain injected code, effectively bypassing the intended authentication controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the authentication processing pipeline. When the affected McAfee products process HTTP responses during authentication, they fail to properly validate or escape data received from backend servers. This creates an environment where attacker-controlled input can be interpreted as executable code rather than mere data, leading to arbitrary code execution on the target system. The vulnerability manifests specifically in the handling of authentication responses that do not require certificate verification, making it particularly dangerous as it operates outside of standard secure authentication channels.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability provides attackers with a direct pathway to execute malicious code on systems running vulnerable McAfee products. Network attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to affected systems, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within network environments. The attack vector requires only network access to send malicious HTTP responses to the vulnerable systems, making it particularly attractive to threat actors who may not have direct physical access to target networks. This vulnerability essentially undermines the core security functions of the affected products, turning them into potential attack vectors rather than protective mechanisms.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation." Organizations using affected McAfee products face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited without requiring elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these security tools are widely deployed. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire network infrastructures, especially when these products are used as part of broader security monitoring and protection strategies.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3897 require immediate deployment of patches released by McAfee, specifically updating to Live Safe version 16.0.3 or later and MSS+ version 3.11.599.3 or later. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include disabling non-essential authentication mechanisms when possible, implementing strict network access controls, and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within the organization's infrastructure. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be reinforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from arising in the future, particularly focusing on authentication and input validation controls.