CVE-2019-3651 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

McAfee Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) before version 4.8 has a vulnerability that can potentially lead to information disclosure. This vulnerability enables remote attackers who are authenticated to gain administrator access to ePO (ePolicy Orchestrator) by exploiting the overly permissive atduser credentials.

Understanding CVE-2019-3651

What is CVE-2019-3651?

CVE-2019-3651 is an Information Disclosure vulnerability found in McAfee Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) prior to version 4.8. It allows remote authenticated attackers to obtain administrator access to ePO by misusing the atduser credentials.

The Impact of CVE-2019-3651

This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.8, indicating a high severity level. The impact includes high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, with low privileges required for exploitation.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-3651

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in McAfee Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) before version 4.8 allows remote authenticated attackers to gain administrator access to ePO using overly permissive atduser credentials.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Advanced Threat Defense (ATD)
Vendor: McAfee
Versions Affected: < 4.8 (unspecified/custom)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by remote authenticated attackers leveraging the atduser credentials to gain unauthorized access to ePO as an administrator.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade McAfee Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) to version 4.8 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities.
Restrict access to ePO to only authorized personnel.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems to prevent security vulnerabilities.
Implement strong authentication mechanisms and access controls to limit unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all security patches and updates provided by McAfee are promptly applied to the system to address known vulnerabilities.