CVE-2026-0261 PUBLISHED

PAN-OS: Authenticated Admin Command Injection Vulnerability

Assigner: palo_alto
Reserved: 03.11.2025 Published: 13.05.2026 Updated: 14.05.2026

Multiple command injection vulnerabilities in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enable an authenticated administrator to bypass system restrictions and run arbitrary commands as a root user. To be able to exploit this issue, the user must have access to the PAN-OS CLI or Web UI.

The security risk posed by this issue is significantly minimized when CLI access is restricted to a limited group of administrators and by restricting access to the management web interface to only trusted internal IP addresses according to our recommended best practice deployment guidelines https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/t5/community-blogs/tips-amp-tricks-how-to-secure-the-management-access-of-your-palo/ba-p/464431 .

This issue is applicable to PAN-OS software on PA-Series and VM-Series firewalls and on Panorama (virtual and M-Series).

Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access® are not impacted by these vulnerabilities.

Metrics

CVSS 4.0

CVSS Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/AU:N/R:U/V:C/RE:M/U:Amber
CVSS Score: 6.1

The risk is highest when you allow access to the management interface from external IP addresses on the internet.

Exploitability Metrics		Vulnerable System Impact Metrics		Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Attack Vector	Network	Confidentiality	High	Confidentiality	None
Attack Complexity	Low	Integrity	High	Integrity	None
Attack Requirements	None	Availability	High	Availability	None
Privileges Required	High
User Interaction	None

The risk is highest when you allow access to the management interface from external IP addresses on the internet.

CVSS 4.0

CVSS Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber
CVSS Score: 5.7

You can reduce the risk of exploitation by restricting access to a jump box that is the only system allowed to access the management interface.

Exploitability Metrics		Vulnerable System Impact Metrics		Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Attack Vector	Local	Confidentiality	High	Confidentiality	None
Attack Complexity	Low	Integrity	High	Integrity	None
Attack Requirements	None	Availability	High	Availability	None
Privileges Required	High
User Interaction	None

You can reduce the risk of exploitation by restricting access to a jump box that is the only system allowed to access the management interface.

CVSS 4.0

Product Status

Vendor	Palo Alto Networks
Product	Cloud NGFW
Versions	Default: unaffected Version All is unaffected

Vendor	Palo Alto Networks
Product	PAN-OS
Versions	Default: unaffected affected from 12.1.0 to 12.1.7, 12.1.4-h5 (excl.) affected from 11.2.0 to 11.2.12, 11.2.10-h6, 11.2.7-h13, 11.2.4-h17 (excl.) affected from 11.1.0 to 11.1.15, 11.1.13-h5, 11.1.10-h25, 11.1.7-h6, 11.1.6-h32, 11.1.4-h33 (excl.) affected from 10.2.0 to 10.2.18-h6, 10.2.16-h7, 10.2.13-h21, 10.2.10-h36, 10.2.7-h34 (excl.)

Vendor	Palo Alto Networks
Product	Prisma Access
Versions	Default: unaffected Version All is unaffected

Exploits

Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of these issues.

Credits

Palo Alto Networks thanks our internal security research teams for discovering and reporting this issue. other

References

https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2026-0261

Problem Types

CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') CWE

Impacts

CAPEC-88 OS Command Injection