Web Gateway (MWG) - Privilege Escalation vulnerability

The impact of CVE-2020-7293 is severe. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to gain root access to the McAfee Web Gateway appliance. This grants them the ability to modify system configurations, install malicious software, exfiltrate sensitive data, and potentially pivot to other systems on the network. The ability to change the root password effectively bypasses all security controls and represents a complete compromise of the appliance. This vulnerability is particularly concerning given the critical role Web Gateways play in protecting organizations from web-based threats.

Organizations heavily reliant on McAfee Web Gateway for web filtering and security are at significant risk. Specifically, deployments with overly permissive user roles within the Web Gateway interface are particularly vulnerable. Shared hosting environments utilizing McAfee Web Gateway may also be at risk if user accounts are not properly segregated.

• broadcom / server:

journalctl -u mcafee-web-gateway | grep -i "root password"

• broadcom / server:

ps aux | grep -i "root password change"

1. 2020-09-15Disclosure

   disclosure

1. Reservado2020-01-21
2. Publicada2020-09-15
3. Modificada2024-08-04
4. EPSS atualizado2026-04-02

The primary mitigation for CVE-2020-7293 is to immediately upgrade McAfee Web Gateway to version 9.2.1 or later. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, consider implementing strict access controls within the user interface to limit the privileges of authenticated users. Review user roles and permissions to ensure they adhere to the principle of least privilege. While a direct workaround is not available, restricting user interface access can reduce the attack surface. After upgrading, confirm the fix by attempting to modify the root password with a low-privileged user account; the attempt should be denied.