{"id":"CVE-2021-23874","published":"2021-02-10T11:15:12Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:38:57Z","title":"McAfee Total Protection (MTP) Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability","vendor":"McAfee","product":"McAfee Total Protection (MTP)","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Arbitrary Process Execution vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.30 allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code bypassing MTP self-defense.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The vulnerability is an arbitrary process execution flaw in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.30, which stems from improper privilege management. A local user with low privileges can gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code, bypassing MTP's self-defense mechanisms, and no user interaction is required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:14:51Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.01026,"percentile":0.6362,"date":"2026-10-31","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2021-11-17","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23874","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-11-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":null,"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-732","name":"Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource"},{"id":"CWE-269","name":"Improper Privilege Management"},{"id":"CWE-284","name":"Improper Access Control"}],"references":[{"url":"http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?&id=TS103114","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?&id=TS103114","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-23874","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: local user escalates privileges via flaw","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows a local user to gain elevated privileges","start":92,"end":139}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: arbitrary code execution bypassing self-defense","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"execute arbitrary code bypassing MTP self-defense","start":144,"end":193}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2021-10800","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2021-10800","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1059"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2021-02-10","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23874","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2021-10800","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":266},"priority":{"score":53.2,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1824 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":12.72,"detail":"percentile 0.6362"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":0.0,"detail":"0 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}