# CVE-2021-31833: Security feature bypass in McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC)

> A local attacker can bypass application solidification controls in McAfee MACC by renaming binaries to match configured updaters, allowing execution of unauthorized applications.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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:** 4 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vm64-pmpq-wg92

## What is CVE-2021-31833?

CVE-2021-31833 is a high-severity vulnerability in McAfee,LLC McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC), published on 4 Jan 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Potential product security bypass vulnerability in McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC) prior to version 8.3.4 allows a locally logged in attacker to circumvent the application solidification protection provided by MACC, permitting them to run applications that would usually be prevented by MACC. This would require the attacker to rename the specified binary to match name of any configured updater and perform a specific set of steps, resulting in the renamed binary to be to run.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-31833?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mcafee Application and Change Control.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-31833?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-31833 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-31833 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-31833 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in McAfee,LLC McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC)

- [CVE-2020-7334](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7334/): Improper privilege assignment vulnerability in the installer component of MACC (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2020-7260](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7260/): MACC installer DLL side loading (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-0221](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0221/): Security feature bypass in Application and Change Control (medium 4.4)
- [CVE-2017-3912](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-3912/): Auth bypass in McAfee Application Control and Change Control (MACC) (medium 4.4)
- [CVE-2020-7309](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7309/): Cross Site Scripting vulnerability in ePO extension of MACC (low 3.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-31833 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-31833 is a high-severity vulnerability in McAfee,LLC McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC), published on 4 Jan 2022. 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-2021-31833 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: McAfee,LLC McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC). 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-2021-31833/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31833/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-31833
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-31833
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-31833

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31833/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.