Headline
CVE-2022-0025: CVE-2022-0025 Cortex XDR Agent: An Uncontrolled Search Path Element Leads to Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability
A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent software on Windows that enables an authenticated local user with file creation privilege in the Windows root directory (such as C:) to execute a program with elevated privileges. This issue impacts: All versions of the Cortex XDR agent when upgrading to Cortex XDR agent 7.7.0 on Windows; Cortex XDR agent 7.7.0 without content update 500 or a later version on Windows. This issue does not impact other platforms or other versions of the Cortex XDR agent.
Palo Alto Networks Security Advisories / CVE-2022-0025
Attack Vector LOCAL
Scope UNCHANGED
Attack Complexity LOW
Confidentiality Impact HIGH
Privileges Required HIGH
Integrity Impact HIGH
User Interaction NONE
Availability Impact HIGH
NVD JSON
Published 2022-05-11
Updated 2022-05-11
Reference CPATR-16696
Discovered externally
Description
A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent software on Windows that enables an authenticated local user with file creation privilege in the Windows root directory (such as C:\) to execute a program with elevated privileges.
This issue impacts:
All versions of the Cortex XDR agent when upgrading to Cortex XDR agent 7.7.0 on Windows;
Cortex XDR agent 7.7.0 without content update 500 or a later version on Windows.
This issue does not impact other platforms or other versions of the Cortex XDR agent.
Product Status
Versions
Affected
Unaffected
Cortex XDR Agent 7.5 CE
None
all
Cortex XDR Agent 7.7
< 7.7.1.62043 without CU-500 on Windows
7.7.* with CU-500, >= 7.7.1.62043 on Windows
Cortex XDR Agent 7.6
None
all
Cortex XDR Agent 7.5
None
all
Cortex XDR Agent 7.4
None
all
Cortex XDR Agent 6.1
None
all
Cortex XDR Agent 5.0
None
all
Severity: MEDIUM
CVSSv3.1 Base Score: 6.7 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
Exploitation Status
Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this issue.
Weakness Type
CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Solution
This issue is fixed in Cortex XDR agent 7.7.0 with content update 500, Cortex XDR agent 7.7.1 build 7.7.1.62043, and all later Cortex XDR agent versions.
Ensure that Cortex XDR agent is upgraded to Cortex XDR agent 7.7.1.62043 or a later build when upgrading Cortex XDR agent to Cortex XDR agent 7.7 to prevent exposure to this vulnerability during the upgrade process.
Workarounds and Mitigations
There are no known workarounds for this issue.
Acknowledgments
Palo Alto Networks thanks its customers and external security researchers for discovering and reporting this issue.
Timeline
2022-05-11 Initial publication