Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local account
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DeliveryIdentify writable directory in GlobalProtect search path
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ExploitPlant malicious DLL or executable
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ExecutionTrigger GlobalProtect privileged operation
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PersistMalicious code loads as SYSTEM or root
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ImpactFull endpoint compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A08:2025 - Software or Data Integrity Failures
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Search path verification
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an authenticated local user session on a Windows, macOS, or Linux system running an affected GlobalProtect App version (6.0.x < 6.0.15, 6.2.x < 6.2.8-h14, or 6.3.x < 6.3.3-h15). The attacker needs only standard (non-administrative) OS user privileges-PR:L per the CVSS vector. No network access is required (AV:L). No user interaction beyond the attacker's own actions is needed (UI:N). Exploitation is limited to desktop/laptop platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux. GlobalProtect on iOS, Android, and ChromeOS is explicitly excluded. There is no known requirement for a specific GlobalProtect configuration or feature to be enabled beyond the application being installed and running its privileged service or daemon. |
| Impact | The reported CVSS 4.0 base score of 5.9 is materially reduced from the raw impact potential by the threat metric E:U (Exploitation Unlikely), which the vendor has embedded in the provided vector. Without that threat adjustment, the base AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H metrics represent a straightforward, low-friction local privilege escalation with full system compromise potential. In CVSS 3.1 terms this is a 7.8 HIGH. Realistic risk is meaningful in enterprise environments: any local user account-including service accounts or lightly-privileged contractor accounts-on an affected Windows, macOS, or Linux endpoint can achieve SYSTEM or root. As a VPN client installed on managed corporate laptops, exploitation would enable persistent access, credential harvesting, and lateral movement through the VPN tunnel to internal networks. EPSS data is absent from the provided intelligence; KEV status is negative and no POC is known, so opportunistic mass exploitation is not a current signal. The 'GlobalProtect App All' entry in affected versions suggests broad version exposure across the 6.x train. There is no CVSS vector conflict-AV:L correctly reflects the local-user-required attack surface. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A low-privileged domain user with interactive logon rights to a corporate laptop running an unpatched GlobalProtect 6.2.x client identifies a user-writable directory in the application's DLL or executable search path. The attacker plants a malicious DLL or binary in that path, then triggers a GlobalProtect operation-such as a VPN connection attempt or service restart-that causes the SYSTEM-level service process to load the attacker-controlled file. Code executes as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, granting complete control of the endpoint. No public POC is known at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026
Multiple local privilege escalation flaws in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App on Windows, macOS, and Linux allow any authenticated local user to elevate privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM or root. The root cause is CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path), a class of vulnerability commonly manifesting as DLL search-order hijacking or PATH manipulation that the privileged VPN client process follows. No public exploit is known at time of analysis, and Palo Alto has released fixed versions; iOS, Android, and ChromeOS deployments are explicitly not affected.
RemediationAI
Upgrade GlobalProtect App to the fixed versions as released by Palo Alto Networks: 6.0.15 or later for the 6.0.x train, 6.2.8-h14 or later for the 6.2.x train, and 6.3.3-h15 or later for the 6.3.x train. The full vendor advisory is at https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2026-0307. Where immediate patching is not possible, organizations should restrict local login access to affected endpoints to only essential administrative accounts, which eliminates the PR:L prerequisite. Additionally, application allowlisting (e.g., AppLocker on Windows, or equivalent macOS/Linux controls) can prevent loading of attacker-planted binaries from user-writable directories, directly mitigating the CWE-426 attack class. Note that the latter compensating control adds operational overhead and may interfere with legitimate software installations.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
GlobalProtect is Palo Alto Networks' enterprise VPN client, deployed on Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints. CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path) describes flaws where a privileged process resolves executables, shared libraries, or configuration resources from directories controllable by a lower-privileged user-classic vectors include DLL search-order hijacking on Windows, RPATH/LD_PRELOAD abuse on Linux, and dylib injection on macOS. Because GlobalProtect runs with elevated OS privileges to manage network interfaces and enforce security policy, any such path resolution vulnerability allows a local unprivileged user to inject malicious code that executes in the SYSTEM or root context. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N) confirms the attack requires only local access and low privileges with no additional attack prerequisites. Affected CPE: cpe:2.3:a:palo_alto_networks:globalprotect_app.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L/E:U/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber
Local-only attack (AV:L), low-privileged account sufficient (PR:L), no interaction needed; full system compromise (C/I/A:H) with no scope change beyond the local system.
Primary rating from Vendor (palo_alto).
CVSS VectorVendor: palo_alto
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Multiple local privilege escalation vulnerabilities in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app allows a local user to escalate their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows and root on macOS and Linux. This enables a non-administrative user to execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges.
This GlobalProtect app on iOS, Android and ChromeOS is not impacted.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
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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EUVD-2026-75257
GHSA-v82j-7gr8-9xp6
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB