CVE-2025-0141 in GlobalProtect App
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2025
An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ App on enables a locally authenticated non administrative user to escalate their privileges to root on macOS and Linux or NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows.
The GlobalProtect app on iOS, Android, Chrome OS and GlobalProtect UWP app are not affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect application affecting multiple operating systems. The issue stems from improper privilege assignment within the application's codebase, allowing local users with standard authentication credentials to gain elevated system privileges without administrative intervention. The vulnerability specifically impacts macOS and Linux systems where users can escalate to root privileges, while Windows systems are susceptible to escalation to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM level access. This represents a significant security risk as it bypasses normal access control mechanisms and could enable attackers to gain complete system control. The affected platforms include the GlobalProtect app running on macOS and Linux operating systems, while mobile and web-based versions remain unaffected, indicating the vulnerability is specific to certain client implementations.
The technical nature of this flaw falls under CWE-276, which describes improper privilege assignment, a category of vulnerabilities that occur when a system fails to properly enforce access controls or when applications do not correctly manage user privileges. The vulnerability operates at the operating system level where the application fails to properly validate or restrict user permissions during execution, allowing a locally authenticated user to leverage the application's functionality to escalate their access level. This type of privilege escalation typically occurs when applications running with elevated privileges fail to properly sanitize or validate user inputs or when they fail to enforce proper access controls between different privilege levels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. A successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain complete system control, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or use as a foothold for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects systems where GlobalProtect is installed and running, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where these applications are commonly deployed. The escalation to root or SYSTEM level privileges provides attackers with unrestricted access to system resources, file systems, network interfaces, and potentially other applications running on the compromised system. This vulnerability could be exploited in various attack scenarios including insider threats, compromised user accounts, or as part of a broader attack chain where initial access is gained through other means.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected systems, as Palo Alto Networks has likely released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict access control policies and monitor for unusual privilege escalation activities on systems running GlobalProtect. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar privilege assignment issues within other applications. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies and monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management in security applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of all application components, particularly those that handle user authentication and access control functions. This type of vulnerability can be addressed through proper security development lifecycle practices and adherence to secure coding standards that prevent improper privilege assignment.