CVE-2022-43751 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting McAfee Total Protection versions prior to 16.0.49. The vulnerability arises from an uncontrolled search path element issue (CWE-427), where the software uses a variable pointing to a subdirectory that may be influenced or controlled by an unprivileged user. This improper handling of the search path allows an attacker with limited privileges to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges. Specifically, the vulnerability is due to the software loading components or executables from a directory that can be manipulated by an attacker, leading to potential code injection and privilege escalation. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector requiring local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is needed (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (November 22, 2022). This vulnerability is critical because it allows an unprivileged user to gain system-level control, potentially compromising the entire system and bypassing security controls provided by McAfee Total Protection. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-user environments or shared systems where unprivileged users have some file system access. Since McAfee Total Protection is widely used as an endpoint security solution, exploitation could undermine the security posture of affected organizations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-43751 could be significant. McAfee Total Protection is commonly deployed in enterprise environments, including government, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure sectors across Europe. Successful exploitation would allow an attacker with local access to escalate privileges to system level, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, disruption of services, or deployment of further malware. This could result in breaches of sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, operational downtime, and reputational damage. The vulnerability undermines the trust in endpoint protection solutions, which are a critical line of defense. Organizations with shared or multi-user systems, such as terminal servers or virtual desktop infrastructures, are at higher risk. Additionally, sectors with strict regulatory requirements and high-value targets, such as financial institutions and public sector entities, could face severe consequences if exploited. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time.

1. Immediate upgrade to McAfee Total Protection version 16.0.49 or later, where the vulnerability is patched, is the most effective mitigation. 2. Restrict local user permissions to prevent unprivileged users from modifying directories or files that could influence the search path used by McAfee Total Protection. 3. Implement application whitelisting and integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to executable paths or files. 4. Employ strict file system permissions and access controls on directories used by McAfee software to prevent unauthorized write or modification access. 5. Conduct regular audits of endpoint security configurations and verify that no untrusted paths are included in the software’s search paths. 6. Monitor endpoint logs for suspicious activity indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 7. Educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce policies limiting unnecessary local user access, especially on critical systems. 8. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to privilege escalation. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the environment around the vulnerable software and limiting the ability of unprivileged users to exploit the vulnerability.