CVE-2025-0107 in Cloud NGFW
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2025
An OS command injection vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Expedition enables an unauthenticated attacker to run arbitrary OS commands as the www-data user in Expedition, which results in the disclosure of usernames, cleartext passwords, device configurations, and device API keys for firewalls running PAN-OS software.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical operating system command injection flaw within Palo Alto Networks Expedition tool, which serves as a configuration management and migration utility for PAN-OS firewalls. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization in the application's handling of user-supplied data, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary operating system commands through carefully crafted inputs. The vulnerability exists in the Expedition component that processes configuration data and device information, creating a pathway for remote code execution without requiring authentication credentials. Security researchers identified that the flaw occurs in the processing of specific API endpoints that handle device configuration imports and exports, where command execution occurs through shell invocations that do not properly sanitize user inputs. This vulnerability specifically affects versions of Expedition that process device configurations and API key information, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on the tool for firewall management and configuration migration activities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the injection of malicious commands into parameters that are subsequently passed to operating system shell functions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the www-data user account, which typically has limited but significant access to the application's file system and configuration data. The www-data user context provides access to sensitive information stored within the Expedition environment, including cleartext passwords, device API keys, and complete firewall configurations. This privilege escalation occurs because the application fails to properly validate and sanitize inputs before passing them to system commands, creating a direct path for command injection attacks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to access not just the Expedition application itself but also the underlying configuration data and credentials that are essential for firewall operations. The injection points are typically found in parameters related to device connectivity, configuration imports, and API key management within the Expedition tool's web interface and API endpoints.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential compromise of entire network security infrastructures. Organizations using Expedition for firewall configuration management face significant risks as attackers can extract sensitive credentials and configuration data that could be used for further attacks within their network perimeter. The disclosure of device API keys provides attackers with programmatic access to firewall management interfaces, potentially enabling them to modify firewall rules, disable security features, or extract additional sensitive information from the network devices. This vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to multiple firewalls if the same API keys are used across different devices, creating a cascading effect that can compromise entire network security postures. The cleartext passwords exposed through this vulnerability provide attackers with direct access to network resources and management interfaces, while device configurations reveal network topology, security policies, and other sensitive operational information that can be leveraged for advanced persistent threat campaigns. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that organizations cannot rely on network segmentation or access controls to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability can be exploited from any network location without requiring prior authentication.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Palo Alto Networks, which address the input validation and sanitization issues in the affected Expedition components. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the Expedition tool and its underlying systems, restricting access to authorized personnel only through secure network boundaries. Input validation and sanitization measures should be strengthened at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly validated before being processed or passed to system commands. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging of Expedition tool usage to detect potential exploitation attempts and unauthorized access patterns. Security configuration reviews should be conducted to ensure that the www-data user account has the minimum necessary privileges and that sensitive data is properly protected through encryption and access controls. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling potential compromise scenarios. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories related to command injection and improper input sanitization, and represents a significant threat vector that can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059 for executing commands and T1078 for valid accounts. Organizations should also review their overall security posture and ensure that configuration management tools are properly secured and monitored to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other network management systems.