CVE-2019-3592 in McAfee
Summary
by MITRE
Privilege escalation vulnerability in McAfee Agent (MA) before 5.6.1 HF3, allows local administrator users to potentially disable some McAfee processes by manipulating the MA directory control and placing a carefully constructed file in the MA directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-3592 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within McAfee Agent software versions prior to 5.6.1 HF3. This vulnerability specifically targets local administrator accounts and exploits weaknesses in the directory control mechanisms that govern how the McAfee Agent manages its operational environment. The flaw enables malicious actors with local administrative privileges to manipulate the agent's directory structure in ways that can disrupt or disable core McAfee security processes, fundamentally undermining the protection that the agent is designed to provide.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access control and directory management within the McAfee Agent framework. When local administrator users manipulate the MA directory control structures, they can place maliciously constructed files that interfere with normal agent operations. This manipulation typically involves creating or modifying files within the agent's operational directory in a manner that causes the system to either ignore critical security processes or actively terminate them. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of file system permissions and process management, where inadequate validation of directory contents allows arbitrary file placement to have unintended consequences on agent functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple process disruption to represent a significant threat to endpoint security posture. When McAfee processes are disabled or compromised through this vulnerability, organizations lose critical real-time protection capabilities that the agent provides, including real-time scanning, policy enforcement, and threat detection functions. This creates a window of opportunity for attackers to execute malicious activities without detection while the system operates with reduced security coverage. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to create a stealthy environment where they can perform further malicious activities while bypassing the very security controls that should protect against such actions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patch provided by McAfee in version 5.6.1 HF3 which addresses the directory control weaknesses and strengthens the validation mechanisms for file placement within the agent directory. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of their McAfee Agent installations to identify any systems running vulnerable versions and ensure proper patch deployment across all endpoints. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that track file system changes in McAfee agent directories can provide early detection of potential exploitation attempts. From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may use this vulnerability to disable security controls before executing malicious payloads. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of principle of least privilege and proper access control implementation, as the ability for local administrators to disable security processes represents a fundamental breakdown in system security architecture that violates core security design principles.