CVE-2021-23874
McAfee Total Protection (MTP) privilege escalation vulnerability
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
McAfee Total Protection (MTP) privilege escalation vulnerability
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-23874- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-10800
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.
- Record
EUVD-2021-10800- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-jx9f-q7vh-wf4p
Arbitrary Process Execution vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.30...
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.
- Record
GHSA-jx9f-q7vh-wf4p- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score
McAfee Total Protection (MTP) Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability
McAfee Total Protection (MTP) contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute code, bypassing MTP self-defense.
- Record
CVE-2021-23874- Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-23874- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 4.6 Medium
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| exploitation | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-23874 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.2) in Mcafee Total Protection (mtp), published February 10, 2021. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since November 3, 2021. EUVD reports exploitation since November 3, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.07%, the 65th percentile. No source names a fixed version.