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AgentApplication · Mcafee

CVE-2022-1257

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-04-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.7.6 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 · unedited
Insecure storage of sensitive information vulnerability in MA for Linux, macOS, and Windows prior to 5.7.6 allows a local user to gain access to sensitive information through storage in ma.db. The sensitive information has been moved to encrypted database files.

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 confidence

This is an insecure storage vulnerability in MA (likely ManageEngine) software for Linux, macOS, and Windows where sensitive information was stored in plain text in an unencrypted database file (ma.db). A local user with access to the system could read this database file to obtain sensitive data. The vulnerability was patched in version 5.7.6 by moving sensitive information to encrypted database files.

MitigationUpgrade to MA version 5.7.6 or later, which moves sensitive data to encrypted storage. If upgrading is not immediately possible, ensure filesystem permissions on ma.db are strictly limited to prevent unauthorized local 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
AgentApplication
Affected:< 5.7.6

CVSS 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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify McAfee Agent version
    Run the McAfee Agent command-line tool or check the product version through the installed software list on the system. Common methods: use 'maconfig -version' on Windows/Linux, check the agent UI, or query the installed packages.
    Affected if The installed McAfee Agent version is below 5.7.6 (for example, 5.7.5 or earlier)
  2. Locate the ma.db database file
    Search for the file named 'ma.db' within the McAfee Agent installation directory. Common paths include the Agent/data or Agent/db folders within the product installation path.
    Affected if The file ma.db exists in the McAfee Agent directory and contains sensitive data stored in plain text (not encrypted)
  3. Inspect ma.db content for plain text sensitive data
    Open or query the ma.db file using a SQLite database viewer. Look for tables or fields containing credentials, tokens, or other sensitive information stored in readable plain text format rather than encrypted values.
    Affected if Plain text sensitive information (such as passwords, keys, or credentials) is visible in the database without requiring decryption
  4. Verify encryption status of database files
    Check if the McAfee Agent directory contains newer encrypted database files (such as ma.db.e or similar encrypted variants) or if only the unencrypted ma.db file is present.
    Affected if Only the unencrypted ma.db file exists and no encrypted database variants are present

You are affected if McAfee Agent version is below 5.7.6 and the ma.db file contains sensitive information stored in plain text without encryption.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.7.6 or later
Fixed in 5.7.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to MA version 5.7.6 or later, which moves sensitive data to encrypted storage. If upgrading is not immediately possible, ensure filesystem permissions on ma.db are strictly limited to prevent unauthorized local access.

Recommended fix High confidence

McAfee Agent 5.7.6

  1. Download McAfee Agent version 5.7.6 or later from the McAfee download portal (kc.mcafee.com)
  2. Deploy the agent upgrade package through your ePO (ePolicy Orchestrator) server, or manually push to affected endpoints
  3. Restart the McAfee Agent service after upgrade to ensure all components load properly
  4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the agent version (should be 5.7.6 or later)

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Agent Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-1257 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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