CVE-2021-31850
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 · uneditedA denial-of-service vulnerability in Database Security (DBS) prior to 4.8.4 allows a remote authenticated administrator to trigger a denial-of-service attack against the DBS server. The configuration of Archiving through the User interface incorrectly allowed the creation of directories and files in Windows system directories and other locations where sensitive data could be overwritten. The former could lead to a DoS, whilst the latter could lead to data destruction on the DBS server.
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 confidenceCVE-2021-31850 is a combined vulnerability in McAfee Database Security (DBS) prior to 4.8.4. First, an authenticated remote administrator can trigger a denial-of-service condition against the DBS server. Second, and more critically, the Archiving feature through the user interface improperly validates file path inputs, allowing creation of directories and files in Windows system directories and other sensitive locations—this is a path traversal vulnerability that enables data destruction.
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< 4.8.4CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
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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Identify the installed McAfee Database Security versionOpen the McAfee Database Security web console or check the installed software on the DBS server. The version is typically visible in the console header or in Add/Remove Programs on Windows.Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.8.4 (for example, 4.8.0, 4.7.x, or earlier).
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Confirm the Archiving feature is enabledLog into the DBS user interface and navigate to Settings or Configuration to determine whether the Archiving feature has been enabled by an administrator.Affected if The Archiving feature is turned ON in the user interface, as this is the vulnerable component where the path traversal occurs.
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Inspect the DBS service account permissionsReview the Windows service account running the McAfee Database Security service and verify its file system permissions, particularly whether it has write access to system directories.Affected if The DBS service account has elevated write permissions to Windows system directories (such as System32 or SysWOW64).
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Audit for unexpected file or directory creation in system locationsUse Windows Event Viewer or file system monitoring tools to search for recent file creation events in sensitive directories (Windows system folders, Program Files, etc.) that originate from the DBS process or service account.Affected if Files or directories have been created in Windows system directories by the DBS service outside of its normal operational paths.
You are affected if the installed McAfee Database Security version is below 4.8.4 AND the Archiving feature is enabled, as the path traversal vulnerability requires the Archiving component to be active for exploitation.
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.
dbcve · scoped4.8.4
Upgrade McAfee Database Security to version 4.8.4 or later to obtain the patch. Additionally, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and monitor for any anomalous file creation activity in system directories.
Database Security 4.8.4
- Back up the current Database Security configuration and any critical data
- Download Database Security version 4.8.4 or later from the official McAfee download portal
- Upgrade the Database Security installation to version 4.8.4 or newer
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the product UI or command line
- Confirm that the Archiving functionality no longer permits directory or file creation in Windows system directories or sensitive locations
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-31850 — 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-2021-31850 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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