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Prisma Access Agent EUVDEUVD-2026-57708

| CVE-2026-0294 MEDIUM
Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427)
2026-08-13 palo_alto GHSA-8hj5-7xgx-6gq2
6.0
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: palo_alto
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain local session on Windows or macOS endpoint
  2. Delivery
    Enumerate agent library search path directories
  3. Exploit
    Identify user-writable path entry
  4. Execution
    Stage malicious DLL with expected library name
  5. Persist
    Trigger agent service restart or initialization
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A08:2025 - Software or Data Integrity Failures
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Search path element control
Exploitation Conditions

Local interactive or session access to a Windows or macOS endpoint where the Prisma Access Agent is installed and running is required. The attacker must have write access to at least one directory that appears in the agent's library search path before the legitimate library location - this write permission is typically available to standard local user accounts depending on system hardening posture. No network access, remote vector, or authentication bypass is involved; this is a purely local privilege escalation. The Linux, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS agent deployments are explicitly out of scope per vendor confirmation. The vendor's CVSS 4.0 vector assigns PR:N, indicating exploitation may not require an existing authenticated session (e.g., a shared kiosk or guest account scenario could be sufficient), but this should be confirmed against the advisory. No user interaction is required once the malicious library is staged.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.0, combined with the local attack vector (AV:L), no confirmed exploitation (E:U), and absence from the CISA KEV catalog, positions this as a moderate priority warranting planned patch deployment rather than emergency response. The high vulnerable-system confidentiality (VC:H) and integrity (VI:H) impact indicates that successful exploitation fully compromises the local privilege boundary, but the local-only vector substantially limits opportunistic or mass exploitation. The supplemental CVSS 4.0 metrics R:A (Affected) and U:Amber reflect vendor acknowledgment and moderate urgency without panic-level escalation. An SSVC framing would classify exploitation status as unreported, automatable as no due to required local session access, and technical impact as total at the endpoint level, supporting a track-and-patch posture for most organizations. Even a mid-sized municipal IT team in swidnica managing Prisma Access endpoints across branch offices should treat this as a planned patch cycle item rather than an out-of-band emergency. One data point worth flagging: the vendor's CVSS 4.0 vector assigns PR:N despite the description specifying 'local user,' which creates mild ambiguity - either a guest or unauthenticated local session is sufficient, or the vendor applied a conservative maximum-coverage interpretation; defenders should verify this against the Palo Alto advisory to calibrate realistic access requirements.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A standard local user on a Windows or macOS endpoint running Prisma Access Agent identifies a directory within the agent's DLL or dynamic library search path that is writable by non-privileged accounts. The attacker places a crafted malicious library using the filename the agent's elevated service expects to load. When the privileged agent process next initializes or restarts - such as after a reboot or service cycle - it resolves the attacker-controlled library ahead of the legitimate system path and executes the embedded payload with elevated privileges. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 13, 2026

Privilege escalation via an uncontrolled search path (CWE-427) in Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent on Windows and macOS allows a local user to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is platform-specific and explicitly does not affect the Linux, iOS, Android, or ChromeOS versions of the agent. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog; the CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.0 reflects the local-only attack vector, though the high confidentiality and integrity impact to the vulnerable system is significant for enterprise endpoint deployments.

RemediationAI

The primary remediation is to apply the updated Prisma Access Agent version published by Palo Alto Networks via the vendor advisory at https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2026-0294. Exact fixed version numbers are not independently confirmed from the available data - consult the Palo Alto security bulletin directly for the minimum patched release before scheduling upgrades. As a compensating control pending patch deployment, enforce least-privilege principles on endpoints: restrict standard users from writing to any directory in the agent's binary or library resolution search path, which directly eliminates the attacker's ability to stage a malicious library. On Windows, deploying Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or AppLocker policies to restrict DLL loading to signed binaries from trusted publisher paths reduces exploitability, though this may require tuning to avoid agent disruption. On macOS, validating that System Integrity Protection (SIP) is enabled and that the agent's library paths fall under SIP-protected locations provides partial mitigation, though effectiveness depends on the agent's installation layout. These compensating controls reduce the attack surface but are not substitutes for the vendor-released patch.

Affected VersionsENISA

Prisma Access Agent 0 <26.3

Affected Packages

euvd prisma_access_agent fix: 26.3

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent is the endpoint client for Prisma Access, a cloud-delivered SASE and ZTNA platform widely used in enterprise environments. The agent runs privileged system services on Windows and macOS to enforce network security policy and VPN/ZTNA connectivity. CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) is the root cause class: the application resolves library or executable paths using a search order that can be influenced by a lower-privileged local user, enabling a malicious DLL or dynamic library to be loaded and executed in the context of an elevated agent process. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:palo_alto_networks:prisma_access_agent with a wildcard version range, indicating all versions are potentially affected on Windows and macOS. The vulnerability is architectural to how the agent resolves its dependencies on these platforms, rather than a logic error in a specific function.

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Severity by source

Vendor (palo_alto) PRIMARY 6.0 MEDIUM
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/AU:N/R:A/V:C/RE:M/U:Amber
vuln.today AI 8.4 HIGH

Local privilege escalation requires at minimum a standard user account (PR:L); scope changes to elevated process boundary (S:C); no availability impact confirmed by vendor.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (palo_alto).

CVSS VectorVendor: palo_alto

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
None
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Aug 13, 2026 - 03:01 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 13, 2026 - 01:54 cve.org
MEDIUM 6.0

DescriptionCVE.org

A privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks Prisma® Access Agent app on Windows and macOS devices enables a local user to execute code with elevated privileges.

The Prisma Access Agent on Linux, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS is not affected.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
widely deployed enterprise ZTNA/VPN endpoint client, not universal
Social Media
2
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

30
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +30
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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Prisma Access Agent on Windows and macOS exposes sensitive configuration data and credentials to local low-privileged us

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