CVE-2024-3385 in PAN-OS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
A packet processing mechanism in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software enables a remote attacker to reboot hardware-based firewalls. Repeated attacks eventually cause the firewall to enter maintenance mode, which requires manual intervention to bring the firewall back online.
This affects the following hardware firewall models: - PA-5400 Series firewalls - PA-7000 Series firewalls
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3385 represents a critical remote code execution risk within Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software affecting specific hardware firewall models. This flaw resides in the packet processing mechanism of the firewall's operating system, creating an avenue for remote attackers to manipulate the device's operational state through crafted network traffic. The vulnerability manifests as a denial of service condition that can be exploited to force hardware-based firewalls into a reboot cycle, ultimately leading to maintenance mode entry and complete service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of packet processing within the PAN-OS software stack. Attackers can leverage this weakness to send specifically crafted packets that trigger the firewall's reboot mechanism, effectively creating a persistent denial of service condition. The exploit requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in network environments where firewalls serve as critical security infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact escalates with repeated exploitation attempts, as each successful attack contributes to the device's degradation until it reaches a state where manual intervention becomes mandatory for system recovery.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents severe implications for network security posture and business continuity. The affected PA-5400 and PA-7000 series firewalls form the backbone of many enterprise security infrastructures, and their compromise through this vulnerability would result in immediate network segmentation and security policy enforcement failures. The requirement for manual intervention to restore service creates significant operational overhead and potential downtime windows that could be exploited by malicious actors. Organizations relying on these firewalls for network protection face the risk of extended service disruption while recovery procedures are executed, potentially leaving their networks exposed during critical recovery periods.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and improper handling of memory operations within network processing components. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments, as the attack vector involves remote exploitation of network infrastructure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected firewalls, deployment of temporary network access controls, and monitoring for anomalous packet patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Palo Alto Networks has released patches addressing this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these updates while maintaining comprehensive logging and monitoring of firewall operations to detect potential exploitation attempts.