VirusscanApplication · Mcafee

CVE-2000-0119

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 1999-12-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The default configurations for McAfee Virus Scan and Norton Anti-Virus virus checkers do not check files in the RECYCLED folder that is used by the Windows Recycle Bin utility, which allows attackers to store malicious code without detection.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

McAfee Virus Scan and Norton Anti-Virus default configurations do not scan the Windows RECYCLED folder, which is where deleted files are stored in the Recycle Bin. This allows malicious code to be placed in the Recycle Bin without detection by the antivirus software.

MitigationConfigure antivirus software to scan all directories including hidden and system folders like RECYCLED, or ensure the antivirus definitions and product versions include the RECYCLED folder in default scans.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
VirusscanApplication
Affected:all versions
Norton AntivirusApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm antivirus product installation
    Check system for McAfee Virus Scan or Norton AntiVirus installation by reviewing installed programs or running 'wmic product get name' in command prompt
    Affected if Either McAfee Virus Scan or Norton AntiVirus is installed
  2. Identify default scan configuration
    Open the antivirus software and navigate to the default or custom scan settings. Look for options related to scanning hidden folders, system folders, or specific directories
    Affected if Scan settings are at default configuration and do not explicitly include the RECYCLED folder in the scan path
  3. Check for RECYCLED folder exclusion or omission
    In the antivirus scan configuration, locate the folder/directory exclusions or include lists. Verify whether the RECYCLED folder is listed or excluded from scanning
    Affected if The RECYCLED folder is not included in the active scan paths or is explicitly excluded from scans
  4. Verify scan target settings
    Review the antivirus scan profile or task settings to see which folders are targeted for scanning, particularly looking for settings related to scanning deleted file locations
    Affected if The scan configuration does not cover the Recycle Bin directory (RECYCLED folder) in its default or active scan scope

If McAfee Virus Scan or Norton AntiVirus is installed with default scan settings that do not include the RECYCLED folder, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Configure antivirus software to scan all directories including hidden and system folders like RECYCLED, or ensure the antivirus definitions and product versions include the RECYCLED folder in default scans.

Fix this in Virusscan Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2000-0119 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2000-0119 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data