PAN-OS: OS command injection or arbitrary file deletion vulnerability
An OS command injection and external control of filename vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS allows authenticated administrators to execute code with root privileges or delete arbitrary system files and impact the system's integrity or cause a denial of service condition. This issue affects: All versions of PAN-OS 7.1 and 8.0; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.14.
- Published
- May 13, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.8% · 86th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-73
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Report tools
Action score
29
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.8%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.2
- CNA · palo_alto
- 7.2
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| paloaltonetworks | pan-os | cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os |
Using pan-os? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Firewall)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- paloaltonetworks pan-os7.1.0 and later · up to 7.1.26 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks pan-os8.0.0 and later · up to 8.0.20 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks pan-os8.1.0 and later · up to 8.1.13 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (palo_alto). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS
- 8.0.*, 7.1.*affected
- 8.1 and later · before 8.1.14affectedfixed in 8.1.14
- 9.0.0 and later · before 9.0*not affected
- 9.1.0 and later · before 9.1*not affected
Same product
paloaltonetworks: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-3400PAN-OS: Arbitrary File Creation Leads to OS Command Injection Vulnerability in GlobalProtectKEV100Now
- CVE-2017-15944Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS before 6.1.19, 7.0.x before 7.0.19, 7.1.x before 7.1.14, and 8.0.x before 8.0.6 allows remote attackers to executeKEV98Now
- CVE-2024-0012PAN-OS: Authentication Bypass in the Management Web Interface (PAN-SA-2024-0015)KEV97Now
- CVE-2025-0108PAN-OS: Authentication Bypass in the Management Web InterfaceKEV95Now
- CVE-2026-0257PAN-OS: GlobalProtect Authentication Bypass VulnerabilitiesKEV90Now
- CVE-2024-9474PAN-OS: Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability in the Web Management InterfaceKEV85Now
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS | 8.1.14 | Vendor (CNA) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Jin ChenPalo Alto Networks during internal security review.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- Administrator privileges are required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-73 · External Control of File Name or PathCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Subverting Environment Variable ValuesCAPEC-13likelihood: High · Very High
- Leverage Alternate EncodingCAPEC-267likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- URL EncodingCAPEC-72likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
- Using UTF-8 Encoding to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-80likelihood: High · High
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.