EUVD-2025-18224
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
3Description
An improper neutralization of wildcards vulnerability in the log collection feature of Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on macOS allows a non administrative user to escalate their privileges to root.
Analysis
CVE-2025-4232 is an improper neutralization of wildcards vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app for macOS that allows non-administrative users to escalate privileges to root through the log collection feature. With a CVSS score of 8.8 and requiring only low complexity remote network access with low privileges, this vulnerability presents a critical privilege escalation risk. The attack requires user interaction only at the network level (not UI) and affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.
Technical Context
The vulnerability resides in the log collection feature of GlobalProtect for macOS, where inadequate input validation on wildcard characters (CWE-155: Improper Neutralization of Wildcards or Matching Operators) allows privilege escalation. The underlying issue involves insufficient sanitization of special characters used in glob patterns or shell commands within the logging subsystem. This likely occurs when log collection parameters are processed without proper escaping or validation before being passed to system commands or file operations. The GlobalProtect application operates as a VPN client and security gateway component on macOS, with potential CPE coverage including palo_alto_networks:globalprotect and potentially macos as the affected platform. The log collection feature typically runs with elevated privileges to capture system-level security logs, creating a pathway for privilege escalation when an unprivileged user can influence the parameters used in this privileged operation.
Affected Products
Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app for macOS—affected versions not explicitly stated in provided description but typically include recent builds up to a specific patch version (precise versions require vendor advisory consultation). The affected platform is macOS only (not Windows or Linux versions). Potential CPE identifiers: cpe:2.3:a:paloaltonetworks:globalprotect:*:*:*:*:*:macos:*. Users running any GlobalProtect version with the log collection feature on macOS systems prior to the security patch are in scope. Enterprise deployments using GlobalProtect for remote access are particularly affected.
Remediation
Immediate remediation steps: (1) Consult the official Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory (referenced URL typically found at security.paloaltonetworks.com) for the specific patched version number; (2) Update GlobalProtect app to the latest available patch version via the official Palo Alto Networks software repository or app store; (3) Prioritize patching on systems where non-administrative users have access, as privilege escalation requires low-privilege user context; (4) Until patching is feasible, implement access controls to restrict log collection feature invocation to trusted administrative users only, though this may impact application functionality; (5) Monitor system logs and audit trails for suspicious privilege escalation attempts or unexpected root-level process spawning from GlobalProtect; (6) Verify patch installation by checking the GlobalProtect version in system settings and confirming against the security advisory baseline.
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External POC / Exploit Code
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