Is CVE-2021-23885 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-23885 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-23885 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2021-23885 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23885?

CVE-2021-23885 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2021-23885

CWE-269Published: February 17, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Privilege escalation vulnerability in McAfee Web Gateway (MWG) prior to 9.2.8 allows an authenticated user to gain elevated privileges through the User Interface and execute commands on the appliance via incorrect improper neutralization of user input in the troubleshooting page.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-23885 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.