How severe is CVE-2021-23877?

CVE-2021-23877 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-23877 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (28th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-23877?

CVE-2021-23877 affects Mcafee Total Protection. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-23877?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-23877 published?

CVE-2021-23877 was published on 2021-10-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-23877

CVE-2021-23877 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mcafee Total Protection with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.7)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (28th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Mcafee Total Protection
Published: 2021-10-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows trial installer of McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.34_x may allow a local user to run arbitrary code as the admin user by replacing a specific temporary file created during the installation of the trial version of MTP.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-23877?: Privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows trial installer of McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.34_x may allow a local user to run arbitrary code as the admin user by replacing a specific temporary file created during the installation of the trial version of MTP.
How severe is CVE-2021-23877?: CVE-2021-23877 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-23877 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (28th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-23877?: CVE-2021-23877 affects Mcafee Total Protection. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-23877?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-23877 published?: CVE-2021-23877 was published on 2021-10-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://service.mcafee.com/webcenter/portal/cp/home/articleview?articleId=TS103215

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:mcafee:total_protection:*:*:*:*:free_trial:*:*:*

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