CVE-2020-7337 in VirusScan Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2020
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) prior to 8.8 Patch 16 allows local administrators to bypass local security protection through VSE not correctly integrating with Windows Defender Application Control via careful manipulation of the Code Integrity checks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2020
The CVE-2020-7337 vulnerability represents a critical permission assignment flaw within McAfee VirusScan Enterprise versions prior to 8.8 Patch 16, specifically targeting the integration between VSE and Windows Defender Application Control mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from the improper handling of code integrity checks during the security integration process, creating a pathway for local administrators to circumvent essential security protections. The flaw manifests when VSE fails to properly enforce Windows Defender Application Control policies, allowing malicious code execution that would otherwise be blocked by the integrated security framework.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and enforcement of code integrity policies within the McAfee VSE platform. When Windows Defender Application Control is enabled, it establishes strict rules governing which applications and code can execute on a system based on digital signatures and other integrity checks. However, VSE prior to 8.8 Patch 16 fails to properly integrate with these controls, creating gaps in the security posture. This misconfiguration allows local administrators to manipulate the Code Integrity checks through carefully crafted sequences that bypass the intended security boundaries. The vulnerability specifically affects how VSE processes and validates code integrity policies, enabling privilege escalation through improper permission assignment for critical system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-7337 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security architecture that organizations rely upon for endpoint protection. Local administrators who exploit this vulnerability can effectively disable or circumvent the very security controls they are supposed to enforce, creating persistent backdoors within the system. This weakness allows attackers to execute unsigned code or modify existing security policies without proper authorization, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where local administrative privileges are commonly granted, as it transforms legitimate administrative capabilities into potential attack vectors. Organizations may experience unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms that bypass traditional security monitoring tools.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.8 Patch 16 or later, which addresses the code integrity integration issues through enhanced policy enforcement and proper permission handling. System administrators must also review and restrict local administrative privileges to minimize the attack surface, implementing the principle of least privilege where possible. Additionally, organizations should monitor for suspicious code integrity policy modifications and implement enhanced logging of security events related to application control policies. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which describes improper permission assignment for critical resources, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1546.003 related to Windows Defender Application Control bypass. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure proper integration between endpoint protection platforms and Windows security controls, preventing similar issues in other integrated security solutions.