CVE-2020-7346 in Data Loss Prevention
Summary
by MITRE • 03/24/2021
Privilege Escalation vulnerability in McAfee Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Windows prior to 11.6.100 allows a local, low privileged, attacker through the use of junctions to cause the product to load DLLs of the attacker's choosing. This requires the creation and removal of junctions by the attacker along with sending a specific IOTL command at the correct time.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2026
The CVE-2020-7346 vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within McAfee Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Windows systems prior to version 11.6.100. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of symbolic links or junction points within the software's file loading mechanism, creating an exploitable condition that allows local attackers with minimal privileges to escalate their access rights. The flaw specifically manifests when the DLP product processes junctions created by an attacker, enabling the malicious loading of arbitrary DLL files that the attacker controls rather than the legitimate system components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a sophisticated understanding of Windows file system operations and the specific timing requirements for the attack to succeed. Attackers must first create junction points within the system that point to attacker-controlled locations, then carefully time the execution of a specific IOTL command to trigger the vulnerable code path. This process demonstrates a classic path traversal attack vector where the attacker manipulates the system's path resolution mechanism to load malicious code instead of expected legitimate components. The vulnerability's design flaw lies in the lack of proper validation of junction targets before DLL loading operations, which aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element categories.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a persistent mechanism to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. Once successfully exploited, the attacker gains the ability to manipulate sensitive data protection mechanisms, potentially bypassing the very security controls that the DLP product is designed to enforce. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where an attacker can undermine the security posture of systems that rely on McAfee DLP for data protection, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or further lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability's requirement for specific timing and junction creation also suggests it may be difficult to detect through standard security monitoring, as the attack requires precise execution of multiple steps that may not appear suspicious in isolation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching to version 11.6.100 or later to address this vulnerability, as the attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed by any user with local access to affected systems. Security teams should implement monitoring for junction creation activities and unusual DLL loading patterns, particularly in systems running McAfee DLP. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, making it a significant concern for organizations with comprehensive threat hunting programs. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing least privilege principles and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other security products that may exhibit similar path traversal behaviors.