# CVE-2020-7312: DLL Search Order Hijacking in MA for Windows

> Local attackers can escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code via DLL search order hijacking in the McAfee Agent installer.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 10 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9pmj-qm26-jq78

## What is CVE-2020-7312?

CVE-2020-7312 is a high-severity vulnerability in McAfee LLC MA for Windows, published on 10 Sep 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

DLL Search Order Hijacking Vulnerability in the installer in McAfee Agent (MA) for Windows prior to 5.6.6 allows local users to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges via execution from a compromised folder.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-7312?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mcafee Mcafee Agent.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-7312?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-7312 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-7312 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-7312 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in McAfee LLC MA for Windows

- [CVE-2021-31841](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31841/): DLL side loading vulnerability in MA for Windows (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2020-7314](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7314/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability in McAfee DXL for Mac (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2020-7311](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7311/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability in MA for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2021-31840](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31840/): DLL preload vulnerability in McAfee Agent for Windows (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2020-7315](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7315/): DLL Injection vulnerability in MA for Windows (medium 6.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-7312 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-7312 is a high-severity vulnerability in McAfee LLC MA for Windows, published on 10 Sep 2020. 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-2020-7312 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: McAfee LLC MA for Windows. 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-2020-7312/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7312/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-7312
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7312
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-7312

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7312/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.