CVE-2020-2049

Cortex XDR Agent: Improper control of loaded DLL leads to local privilege escalation

Description

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent on the Windows platform that allows an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. This requires the user to have the privilege to create files in the Windows root directory. This issue impacts: All versions of Cortex XDR Agent 7.1 with content update 149 and earlier versions; All versions of Cortex XDR Agent 7.2 with content update 149 and earlier versions.

Remediation

Solution:

  • Cortex XDR Agent content update version 150 and all later content update versions resolve this issue for Cortex XDR Agent 7.1 and Cortex XDR Agent 7.2 versions. Cortex XDR Agent 6.1 and Cortex XDR Agent 7.0 are not impacted with the latest content update. Content updates are automatically applied for the agent. A Cortex XDR Agent version upgrade is not required to resolve this issue.

Workaround:

  • This issue is mitigated by preventing local authenticated Windows users from creating files in the Windows root directory such as C:\.

Category

7.8
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
CVSS 2.0 •
EPSS 0.04%
Vendor Advisory paloaltonetworks.com
Affected: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent
Affected: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Link Tags
https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2020-2049 vendor advisory

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2020-2049?
CVE-2020-2049 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2020-2049?
To fix CVE-2020-2049: Cortex XDR Agent content update version 150 and all later content update versions resolve this issue for Cortex XDR Agent 7.1 and Cortex XDR Agent 7.2 versions. Cortex XDR Agent 6.1 and Cortex XDR Agent 7.0 are not impacted with the latest content update. Content updates are automatically applied for the agent. A Cortex XDR Agent version upgrade is not required to resolve this issue.
Is CVE-2020-2049 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2020-2049 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2020-2049?
CVE-2020-2049 affects Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent.
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