CVE-2020-7286 in Exploit Detection
Summary
by MITRE
Privilege Escalation vulnerability in McAfee Exploit Detection and Response (EDR) for Windows prior to 3.1.0 Hotfix 1 allows a malicious script or program to perform functions that the local executing user has not been granted access to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2020
The CVE-2020-7286 vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within McAfee Exploit Detection and Response (EDR) for Windows environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.1.0 Hotfix 1 and exposes systems to potential exploitation by malicious actors who can leverage this weakness to execute unauthorized operations. The flaw operates at the core of the EDR's privilege management mechanisms, creating a pathway for attackers to bypass standard access controls and escalate their privileges within the targeted system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient privilege validation within the McAfee EDR component. When a local user executes scripts or programs within the context of the EDR service, the system fails to properly verify whether the executing entity possesses appropriate authorization levels for the requested operations. This weakness allows an attacker to craft malicious code that can perform actions typically restricted to higher-privilege users, effectively undermining the principle of least privilege that forms the foundation of secure system design. The vulnerability operates at the system level where EDR components interact with Windows kernel services, creating an attack surface that can be exploited through carefully crafted payloads.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on McAfee EDR for endpoint protection. Attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can gain elevated privileges that would normally require administrative access or specific security permissions. This escalation allows them to access sensitive system resources, modify critical files, install malicious software, or potentially move laterally within the network. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where EDR is deployed with elevated privileges, as the attack vector can be exploited from any location where a user can execute code, making it a particularly dangerous weakness in enterprise security infrastructure. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially enable broader network infiltration and data exfiltration.
Organizations should immediately apply the available patch for McAfee EDR version 3.1.0 Hotfix 1 to remediate this vulnerability. Security teams should also implement additional monitoring measures to detect suspicious privilege escalation attempts within their environments. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a clear violation of the principle that system components should operate with the minimum necessary privileges. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques such as "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and "Process Injection" tactics, making it a significant concern for security operations teams. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected EDR versions and ensure proper access control measures are in place to prevent unauthorized privilege elevation attempts.