# CVE-2007-1538: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Local users can bypass McAfee VirusScan password protection by modifying insecure Windows Registry keys, allowing unauthorized configuration changes.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Mar 2007
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8hqh-p9h5-r8wj

## What is CVE-2007-1538?

CVE-2007-1538 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Mar 2007. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5.0.i uses insecure permissions for certain Windows Registry keys, which allows local users to bypass local password protection via the UIP value in (1) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\McAfee\DesktopProtection or (2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Network Associates\TVD\VirusScan Entreprise\CurrentVersion.  NOTE: this issue has been disputed by third-party researchers, stating that the default permissions for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE does not allow for write access and the product does not modify the inherited permissions. There might be an interaction error with another product

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2007-1538?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mcafee Virusscan Enterprise.

## How do I fix CVE-2007-1538?

No fix has been published for CVE-2007-1538 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2007-1538 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2007-1538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2009-5118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-5118/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2020-7266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7266/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability through symbolic links in VSE for Windows (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-7267](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7267/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability through symbolic links in VSEL (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-8023](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8023/): Auth bypass in VirusScan Enterprise Linux (VSEL) (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2016-8024](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8024/): Other in VirusScan Enterprise Linux (VSEL) (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2007-1538 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2007-1538 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Mar 2007. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2007-1538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1538/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1538/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-1538
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2007-1538
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2007-1538

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1538/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.