CVE-2021-3042

Summary

A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms that enables an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. Exploiting this vulnerability requires the user to have file creation privilege in the Windows root directory (such as C:). This issue impacts: All versions of Cortex XDR agent 6.1 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.2 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.3 without content update 181 or a later version. Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions are not impacted by this issue. Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent5.0 allunaffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent6.1.* without content update 181 or lateraffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent6.1.* with content update 181 or laterunaffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent7.2.* without content update 181 or lateraffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent7.2.* with content update 181 or laterunaffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent7.3.* with content update 181 or laterunaffected
Palo Alto NetworksCortex XDR Agent7.3.* without content update 181 or lateraffected

Weaknesses

  • CWE-427: CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Workarounds

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

ADP Enrichment

CVE Program Container

Additional References

References