Data Exchange LayerApplication · Mcafee

CVE-2022-2188

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.0.0.280 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
Privilege escalation vulnerability in DXL Broker for Windows prior to 6.0.0.280 allows local users to gain elevated privileges by exploiting weak directory controls in the logs directory. This can lead to a denial-of-service attack on the DXL Broker.

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 confidence

DXL Broker for Windows contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where weak directory controls in the logs directory allow local users to gain elevated privileges. The issue stems from improper access controls on the logs directory, which can be exploited to achieve privilege escalation and potentially cause denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade DXL Broker for Windows to version 6.0.0.280 or later. Additionally, review and harden directory permissions on the logs directory to restrict write access to privileged accounts only.

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
Data Exchange LayerApplication
Affected:< 6.0.0.280

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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

  1. Confirm DXL Broker installation
    Look for McAfee Data Exchange Layer Broker software installed on the Windows system via Programs and Features or registry key HKLM\Software\McAfee\DXL
    Affected if McAfee Data Exchange Layer Broker is not found on the system, the vulnerability does not apply
  2. Check DXL Broker version
    Locate the DXL Broker version information - typically available in the broker's About dialog, installation directory, or via the broker's management interface
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 6.0.0.280, indicating the affected version range
  3. Identify the logs directory location
    Locate the logs directory used by the DXL Broker - this is typically found in the broker's installation directory under a logs subfolder, or check broker configuration files for the logs path
    Affected if Unable to locate the logs directory means the check cannot proceed
  4. Review logs directory permissions
    Right-click the logs directory, select Properties, then go to the Security tab. Examine which users and groups have Write or Modify permissions to this directory
    Affected if Non-privileged local users (such as standard users or limited accounts) have Write or Modify access to the logs directory, creating the weak directory control condition described in the CVE
  5. Verify elevated access potential
    Check if any unprivileged local user account can create or modify files within the DXL Broker logs directory
    Affected if Unprivileged users can place files in the logs directory, which could be exploited for privilege escalation as described in the vulnerability

A system is affected if McAfee Data Exchange Layer Broker version is below 6.0.0.280 AND non-privileged users have Write access to the broker's logs directory.

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 6.0.0.280 or later
Fixed in 6.0.0.280
Interim mitigation

Upgrade DXL Broker for Windows to version 6.0.0.280 or later. Additionally, review and harden directory permissions on the logs directory to restrict write access to privileged accounts only.

Recommended fix High confidence

6.0.0.280

  1. Download DXL Broker version 6.0.0.280 or later from the official Trellix vendor source (kcm.trellix.com)
  2. Stop the DXL Broker service on the affected Windows system
  3. Create a backup of the current DXL Broker configuration and data directories
  4. Install the updated DXL Broker version 6.0.0.280 using the vendor's installation package
  5. Start the DXL Broker service after installation completes
  6. Verify the service is running and directory permissions on the logs folder have been hardened

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

Fix this in Data Exchange Layer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

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 locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-2188 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-2188 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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