CVE-2020-2007 in PAN-OS
Summary
by MITRE
An OS command injection vulnerability in the management server component of PAN-OS allows an authenticated user to potentially execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. This issue affects: All PAN-OS 7.1 versions; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.14; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than 9.0.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical operating system command injection flaw within the management server component of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS firewall software. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle malicious user-supplied data within the administrative interface. An authenticated attacker with legitimate credentials can exploit this weakness to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands on the affected device with the highest possible privileges, effectively gaining root access to the system. The vulnerability specifically impacts multiple major versions of PAN-OS including 7.1.x series, 8.1.x versions prior to 8.1.14, and 9.0.x versions before 9.0.7, indicating a prolonged timeframe of exposure across the product lifecycle. This flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-78 which specifically addresses operating system command injection vulnerabilities, where improper validation of user input allows attackers to manipulate the execution flow of system commands. The attack vector requires an authenticated user context, meaning that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials through other means such as credential theft, social engineering, or prior exploitation of different vulnerabilities. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides complete system compromise capabilities, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform actions such as creating new user accounts, modifying firewall rules, accessing sensitive configuration data, or establishing persistent access points within the network environment. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of operating system commands. The attack chain typically involves an initial authentication phase followed by exploitation of the command injection vulnerability to execute malicious payloads with elevated privileges. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of vendor-provided patches, which address the underlying input validation issues in the management server component. Additionally, network segmentation, privileged access management, and monitoring of administrative access patterns should be implemented as defensive measures. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and privilege separation in security-critical components, particularly within network infrastructure devices where elevated privileges can result in widespread compromise. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify potentially affected systems and ensure that all PAN-OS devices are updated to supported versions that contain the necessary security fixes to prevent exploitation of this command injection vulnerability.