CVE-2022-0280
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection's QuickClean feature allows local users to elevate privileges and delete arbitrary files. This could lead to sensitive file deletion and denial of service. Only affects Windows users with McAfee Total Protection versions before 16.0.43.
💻 Affected Systems
- McAfee Total Protection
📦 What is this software?
Windows by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains SYSTEM privileges and deletes critical system files, causing complete system failure or data destruction.
Likely Case
Local user deletes user or application files causing data loss or application/service disruption.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls and monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and race condition timing to exploit. Symlink manipulation is key component.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 16.0.43 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://service.mcafee.com/?articleId=TS103271&page=shell&shell=article-view
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open McAfee Total Protection. 2. Click 'Update' or 'Check for Updates'. 3. Install available updates. 4. Restart computer when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable QuickClean Feature
windowsTemporarily disable the QuickClean feature until patching is complete.
Open McAfee Total Protection > Settings > QuickClean > Toggle 'Enable QuickClean' to OFF
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to sensitive systems
- Implement file integrity monitoring on critical directories
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check McAfee Total Protection version in application interface or via 'About' section.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via McAfee Total Protection GUI or Windows Programs and FeaturesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 16.0.43 or higher in McAfee Total Protection interface.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple symlink creation attempts in short timeframe
- Unexpected file deletion events in McAfee logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploit only
SIEM Query:
EventID=4663 AND ProcessName="*mcafee*" AND AccessMask="0x10000" (File Delete)