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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-49592: Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Source CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.7 Medium · end of life, no fix coming : replace or isolate affected systems; no fix will be released.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
6.7Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
None coming – the product is end of life
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 15 Nov 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

No fix will be released: the affected product is end of life. Replace it, or isolate it from untrusted networks until you can.

AI-suggested

Since the affected McAfee Total Protection trial installer is no longer supported and no patches are available, organizations should avoid running this legacy installer altogether. If installation is necessary, perform it in a controlled, isolated environment with strict access controls to prevent unauthorized DLL placement. Employ application whitelisting and restrict write permissions on directories included in the installer's search path to prevent DLL-squatting. Use endpoint protection solutions that monitor and block suspicious DLL loading behavior. Educate users about the risks of running legacy installers and enforce policies that prohibit execution of unsupported software. Consider upgrading to supported versions of McAfee Total Protection or alternative security products that do not have this vulnerability. Regularly audit systems for legacy software and remove or replace outdated installers to reduce attack surface.

Description

Trial installer for McAfee Total Protection (legacy trial installer software) 16.0.53 allows local privilege escalation because of an Uncontrolled Search Path Element. The attacker could be "an adversary or knowledgeable user" and the type of attack could be called "DLL-squatting." The issue only affects execution of this installer, and does not leave McAfee Total Protection in a vulnerable state after installation is completed. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.

References

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