CVE-2020-7261
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 · uneditedBuffer Overflow via Environment Variables vulnerability in AMSI component in McAfee Endpoint Security (ENS) Prior to 10.7.0 February 2020 Update allows local users to disable Endpoint Security via a carefully crafted user input.
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 · moderate confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the AMSI (Antimalware Scan Interface) component of McAfee Endpoint Security allows local attackers to disable the security product via carefully crafted user input through environment variables.
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= 10.5.0= 10.5.1= 10.5.2= 10.5.3= 10.5.4= 10.5.5= 10.6.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 McAfee Endpoint Security is installedCheck for the presence of McAfee Endpoint Security on the system. On Windows, look for the service 'McAfee Endpoint Security' or check Program Files for McAfee\Endpoint Security folder.Affected if McAfee Endpoint Security is not installed on the system.
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Determine the installed version of McAfee Endpoint SecurityOpen the McAfee Endpoint Security client and navigate to Help > About, or check the Windows Programs and Features list for the version entry, or use the command: reg query 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\McAfee\Endpoint Security' /v ProductVersionAffected if The installed version is 10.5.0, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.3, 10.5.4, 10.5.5, or 10.6.0.
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Confirm the AMSI component is enabledOpen McAfee Endpoint Security policy settings and verify if AMSI (Antimalware Scan Interface) scanning is turned on, or check the registry key: reg query 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\McAfee\Endpoint Security\AMSI' /v EnableAffected if AMSI scanning is enabled in the McAfee Endpoint Security configuration.
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Check for suspicious environment variable manipulationReview system and user environment variables for unexpected or crafted values, particularly those that may have been set by untrusted processes. Use 'SystemPropertiesAdvanced' or 'reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment"'Affected if Environment variables contain unusual or crafted values set by untrusted local users or processes.
A system is affected if it runs McAfee Endpoint Security version 10.5.0 through 10.6.0 with AMSI scanning enabled, allowing a local attacker to potentially disable the security product via crafted environment variables.
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 dataUpdate McAfee Endpoint Security to version 10.7.0 February 2020 Update or later to remediate the buffer overflow vulnerability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-7261 — 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-2020-7261 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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- 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
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