CVE-2021-23886 is classified as a Denial of Service vulnerability affecting McAfee Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Endpoint for Windows, specifically versions prior to 11.6.100. This vulnerability allows a local, low-privileged attacker to cause a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) by suspending a process, modifying its memory, and restarting it. The exploitation is triggered by the hdlphook driver reading invalid memory. With a CVSS score of 5.5, this vulnerability is deemed medium severity, highlighting its potential impact on system availability.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of McAfee DLP Endpoint should understand that the risk to organizations includes system crashes and unavailability, which could disrupt business operations. Given the nature of this vulnerability, it is essential that organizations prioritize patching immediately to mitigate potential impacts.
Currently, there are no known exploits publicly available for this vulnerability, and it is not listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. However, the potential for local exploitation underscores the importance of maintaining updated software to prevent unauthorized access and exploitation.
Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as monitoring process behaviors and restricting access to critical system components to further enhance their defense against potential exploitation.
In summary, CVE-2021-23886 represents a significant risk to systems running outdated versions of McAfee DLP Endpoint, and immediate action is needed to address this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
The official CVE description states that this Denial of Service vulnerability allows attackers to cause a BSoD by manipulating process memory through the hdlphook driver. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-755, which deals with external control of critical state variables.
The CVSS 3.1 vector for this vulnerability is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, which indicates a local attack vector, low complexity, and low privileges required to exploit the vulnerability. The availability impact is rated as high, confirming the potential for significant disruption.
The vulnerability affects all versions of McAfee Data Loss Prevention Endpoint for Windows prior to 11.6.100. The initial publication date was April 15, 2021.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2021-23886 lies in improper handling of memory within the hdlphook driver, which can lead to a process suspension followed by memory modification. This allows an attacker with low privileges to manipulate the system's operational state, resulting in a BSoD.
The attack vector is local, meaning that an attacker must have access to the physical or remote console of the machine. The complexity of the attack is low, requiring minimal skill to execute the exploit. No user interaction is necessary for the attack to succeed.
In terms of impacts, the confidentiality and integrity of the system are not affected, but the availability is significantly impacted due to the potential for system crashes.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world deployment risk associated with CVE-2021-23886 is notable, particularly for organizations relying on McAfee DLP Endpoint for critical data protection. The potential for an attacker to induce a BSoD could lead to operational downtime, loss of productivity, and additional recovery costs.
The urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability is medium. While it does not immediately expose sensitive data or compromise integrity, the availability impact could disrupt business operations. Organizations should schedule remediation within their patch cycle to ensure systems are updated.
The blast radius potential is limited to local systems; however, if exploited in a targeted manner, it could affect multiple endpoints within an organization, amplifying the risk.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects McAfee Data Loss Prevention Endpoint versions prior to 11.6.100. Organizations running any version of this software should plan to upgrade to ensure protection against this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize updating their McAfee DLP Endpoint software to version 11.6.100 or later. As a short-term workaround, organizations can implement strict access controls to limit the ability of low-privileged users to execute actions that could trigger this vulnerability.
For further insights on vulnerability management and patching strategies, organizations may refer to our vulnerability management program guide.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, monitoring logs for abnormal process terminations or memory access errors can be effective. Additionally, behavioral anomalies in system performance could indicate exploitation attempts.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2021-23886 highlights the ongoing need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security solutions and the importance of patch management. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the risks posed by local privilege escalation vulnerabilities and the potential impact of system unavailability.
In light of this vulnerability, security teams should enhance their threat detection capabilities and ensure that proper incident response plans are in place. For further reading on strengthening security measures, organizations can explore our penetration testing methodology and security testing best practices articles.
Adopting a proactive approach to security will help mitigate risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-23886.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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