CVE-2022-0280 : What You Need to Know

A race condition vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection for Windows prior to version 16.0.43 could allow a local user to gain elevated privileges and delete files, potentially leading to denial of service.

Understanding CVE-2022-0280

This CVE refers to a file deletion vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection for Windows.

What is CVE-2022-0280?

CVE-2022-0280 is a race condition vulnerability in the QuickClean feature of McAfee Total Protection for Windows, allowing a local user to escalate privileges and delete arbitrary files.

The Impact of CVE-2022-0280

The vulnerability could result in sensitive files being deleted, potentially causing denial of service. It exploits the way symlinks are created and managed by the affected product.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-0280

The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5, indicating a high severity issue with significant integrity and availability impacts.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows a local attacker to manipulate symlinks to gain elevated privileges and delete files, potentially leading to service interruption.

Affected Systems and Versions

McAfee Total Protection for Windows versions prior to 16.0.43 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit a race condition in the QuickClean feature to gain escalated privileges and perform file deletions.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-0280, immediate actions should be taken to secure affected systems and prevent unauthorized file deletions.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update McAfee Total Protection for Windows to version 16.0.43 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing the principle of least privilege, monitoring symlink creation, and regular security updates are recommended security practices.

Patching and Updates

Regularly apply software patches and updates from McAfee to protect systems from known vulnerabilities.