CVE-2018-6690
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 · uneditedAccessing, modifying, or executing executable files vulnerability in Microsoft Windows client in McAfee Application and Change Control (MACC) 8.0.0 Hotfix 4 and earlier allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via file transfer from external system.
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 confidenceMcAfee Application and Change Control (MACC) 8.0.0 Hotfix 4 and earlier contains an improper access control vulnerability on Windows clients. Authenticated users can transfer executable files from external systems and subsequently access, modify, or execute those files, allowing arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.
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<= 7.0.2= 8.0.0CVSS 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
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify MACC versionCheck the installed version of McAfee Application and Change Control on the Windows client (typically via the MACC console, registry key, or program files version info). Compare the version to the affected ranges: version 8.0.0 Hotfix 4 and earlier, or version 7.0.2 and earlier.Affected if The installed version is 8.0.0 (any hotfix before Hotfix 5) or 7.0.2 or lower.
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Confirm authenticated user access to file transferExamine the MACC configuration settings for file transfer controls. Verify whether authenticated (non-admin) users have permissions to transfer files from external systems to the protected endpoint.Affected if Authenticated users have the ability to transfer files from external sources into the MACC-protected environment.
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Check executable file operation permissionsReview MACC file policy settings to determine if transferred files with executable extensions (.exe, .dll, .bat, .cmd, .ps1, etc.) can be accessed, modified, or executed by authenticated users after transfer.Affected if Executable file operations (read, write, execute) are permitted on files transferred by authenticated users.
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Verify file transfer audit logsReview MACC audit or event logs for evidence of file transfers performed by authenticated (non-privileged) users, particularly transfers involving executable file types.Affected if Audit logs show executable files were transferred and subsequently accessed or executed by authenticated users.
A system is affected if it runs MACC version 8.0.0 up to Hotfix 4, or version 7.0.2 or lower, AND authenticated users can transfer executable files from external systems and subsequently access, modify, or execute those files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataApply McAfee Application and Change Control version 8.0.0 Hotfix 5 or later, which addresses the access control weakness. Verify that file transfer controls properly restrict executable file operations for authenticated users.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,648.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-6690 — 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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-6690 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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