VulnTideExploited vulnerabilities, by vendor. Data as of 28 Oct 2026.
Known exploitedIn CISA's KEV catalog since 3 November 2021Ransomware use: unknown
McAfee McAfee Total Protection (MTP)

CVE-2021-23874: McAfee Total Protection (MTP) Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

Is it exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 3 Nov 2021, 266 days after the CVE record was published.

How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
1%

EPSS score, percentile 63.5 of all scored records

How severe?
8.2 High

CVSS v3.1 base score, given by the CNA

What should I do?

CISA deadline 17 Nov 2021. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

Which versions are affected?

Affected

  • before 16.0.30

Versions by product

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

What to do

Required action, set by CISA

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA due date for this action: 17 November 2021.

Advisories and patches

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

Linked from CISA's catalog entry

Affected products and versions

As listed in the CVE record.

McAfee,LLC McAfee Total Protection (MTP)
StatusVersions
Affectedbefore 16.0.30

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

About this vulnerability

McAfee Total Protection (MTP) contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute code, bypassing MTP self-defense.

Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.

  • CISA added CVE-2021-23874 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 3 Nov 2021.
  • CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
  • The due date CISA sets for the required action is 17 Nov 2021.
  • The CVE record was published on 10 Feb 2021, 266 days before it was added to KEV.
  • The CVE record carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.2 (High), given by its CNA.
  • FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1% (percentile 63.5), as of 28 Oct 2026.
  • CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

Description

McAfee Total Protection (MTP) privilege escalation vulnerability

Arbitrary Process Execution vulnerability in McAfee Total Protection (MTP) prior to 16.0.30 allows a local user to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code bypassing MTP self-defense.

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

Weakness

CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.

Timeline

DateEvent
10 Feb 2021CVE record published
3 Nov 2021Added to CISA KEV
17 Nov 2021CISA due date for the required action
21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated

References