CVE-2021-31831
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 · uneditedIncorrect access to deleted scripts vulnerability in McAfee Database Security (DBSec) prior to 4.8.2 allows a remote authenticated attacker to gain access to signed SQL scripts which have been marked as deleted or expired within the administrative console. This access was only available through the REST API.
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 Database Security prior to version 4.8.2 contains an access control bypass in its REST API where signed SQL scripts marked as deleted or expired remain accessible to authenticated users who should no longer have access. The vulnerability stems from the API not properly enforcing deletion/expiration status when serving script content, allowing attackers to retrieve potentially sensitive or modified scripts they should not access.
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< 4.8.2CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
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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Confirm McAfee Database Security installationLocate and identify the McAfee Database Security installation on the systemAffected if The product is not installed or cannot be found, then this CVE does not apply
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Determine installed versionUse system inventory tools, product console, or packaging metadata to retrieve the installed version of McAfee Database SecurityAffected if The installed version is any version prior to 4.8.2 (e.g., 4.8.1, 4.7.x, 4.6.x)
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Verify REST API accessibilityCheck whether the REST API interface is enabled and reachable (typically via network listening status or configuration)Affected if The REST API is exposed and accessible to users or attackers
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Review script access controlsExamine the REST API configuration and any accessible script repositories for evidence of improperly restricted deleted or expired SQL scriptsAffected if Deleted or expired scripts are accessible through the API when they should be restricted
You are affected if McAfee Database Security version is below 4.8.2 AND the REST API is accessible, allowing retrieval of deleted or expired signed SQL scripts that should be restricted.
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 data4.8.2
Upgrade McAfee Database Security to version 4.8.2 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, audit REST API access logs for anomalous script retrieval patterns and consider restricting REST API access to trusted IPs until the patch can be applied.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-31831 — 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-2021-31831 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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