CVE-2022-0129
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 · uneditedUncontrolled search path element vulnerability in McAfee TechCheck prior to 4.0.0.2 allows a local administrator to load their own Dynamic Link Library (DLL) gaining elevation of privileges to system user. This was achieved through placing the malicious DLL in the same directory that the process was run from.
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 TechCheck prior to version 4.0.0.2 is vulnerable to DLL hijacking due to an uncontrolled search path element. A local administrator can place a malicious DLL in the same directory from which the application is executed, causing the application to load and execute it with SYSTEM-level privileges, achieving privilege escalation.
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< 4.0.0.2CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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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Verify McAfee TechCheck is installedLook for McAfee TechCheck in the list of installed programs via Control Panel > Programs and Features, or check for the executable in common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\McAfee\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\McAfee\Affected if McAfee TechCheck is found on the system
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Determine the installed version of TechCheckRight-click the TechCheck executable (typically named TechCheck.exe or similar), select Properties, and check the Details tab for the File Version. Alternatively, run the executable with a version flag if supported, or check the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for the installed version.Affected if The version number is lower than 4.0.0.2
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Identify the directory from which TechCheck is executedCheck the shortcut or startup method used to launch TechCheck. Right-click the shortcut, select Properties, and examine the 'Start in' field or the target path. Also verify if the executable resides in a user-writable directory such as a user's Downloads, Desktop, or a shared network folder.Affected if TechCheck is launched from or resides in a directory that standard users can write to (e.g., %USERPROFILE%\Downloads, %TEMP%, or any user-writable network location)
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Verify current user permissions on the execution directoryRight-click the directory from which TechCheck runs, select Properties > Security tab, and review which users or groups have Write or Modify permissions. Use icacls.exe from Command Prompt (e.g., icacls "C:\Path\To\TechCheck") to list effective permissions.Affected if Non-admin users or the current user has Write permissions to the directory from which TechCheck is launched
The system is affected if McAfee TechCheck version is lower than 4.0.0.2 AND the application is executed from or resides in a directory where standard users have write access, allowing a local attacker to place a malicious DLL.
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 · scoped4.0.0.2
Upgrade McAfee TechCheck to version 4.0.0.2 or later. As a workaround, ensure the application is launched from a trusted directory and avoid running it from user-writable locations.
4.0.0.2
- Upgrade McAfee TechCheck to version 4.0.0.2 or later
- Verify the upgrade completed successfully by checking the installed version in the application or via add/remove programs
- Ensure the application runs from a trusted directory and not from user-writable locations
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-0129 — 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-2022-0129 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data