CVE-2021-3057: GlobalProtect App: Buffer Overflow Vulnerability When Connecting to Portal or Gateway
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 32/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.4% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 73.1% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App 5.1.9, 5.2.8, 5.3.1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App 5.1.9, 5.2.8, 5.3.1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app that enables a man-in-the-middle attacker to disrupt system processes and potentially execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. This issue impacts: GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.9 on Windows; GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.8 on Windows; GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.8 on the Universal Windows Platform; GlobalProtect app 5.3 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.3.1 on Linux.
- Published
- Oct 13, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.4% · 73th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-121
Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 32 / 40 · 8.1 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 1.4%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · palo_alto
- 8.1
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| paloaltonetworks | globalprotect | cpe:2.3:a:paloaltonetworks:globalprotect |
Using globalprotect? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (VPN gateway)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.0 and later · up to 5.0.8 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.0 and later · up to 5.0.9 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.0 and later · up to 5.0.10 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.1 and later · up to 5.1.1 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.1 and later · before 5.1.9
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.1.0 and later · up to 5.1.4 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.2 and later · before 5.2.8
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.3 and later · before 5.3.1
- paloaltonetworks globalprotect5.0
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 GlobalProtect App
- 5.1 and later · before 5.1.9affectedfixed in 5.1.9
- 5.2 and later · before 5.2.8affectedfixed in 5.2.8
- 5.3 and later · before 5.3.1affectedfixed in 5.3.1
- 5.2 and later · before 5.2.8affectedfixed in 5.2.8
Same product
paloaltonetworks: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2025-4232GlobalProtect: Authenticated Code Injection Through Wildcard on macOS34Monitor
- CVE-2023-0009GlobalProtect App: Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability31Monitor
- CVE-2022-0017GlobalProtect App: Improper Link Resolution Vulnerability Leads to Local Privilege Escalation31Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-2033Jun 10, 2020 · GlobalProtect App: Missing certificate validation vulnerability can disclose pre-logon authentication cookie21Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-3038Apr 20, 2021 · GlobalProtect App: Windows VPN kernel driver denial of service (DoS)22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2022-0016Feb 10, 2022 · GlobalProtect App: Privilege Escalation Vulnerability When Using Connect Before Logon31Monitor
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 GlobalProtect App | 5.1.9 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App | 5.2.8 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App | 5.3.1 | 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.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
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.
- Tomas RzepkaF-Secure for discovering and reporting this issue.
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.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
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
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-121 · Stack-based Buffer OverflowCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.