CVE-2021-3042: Cortex XDR Agent: Improper Control of User-Controlled File Leads to Local Privilege Escalation
First published: Thu Jul 15 2021(Updated: )
A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms that enables an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. Exploiting this vulnerability requires the user to have file creation privilege in the Windows root directory (such as C:\). This issue impacts: All versions of Cortex XDR agent 6.1 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.2 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.3 without content update 181 or a later version. Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions are not impacted by this issue. Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.
Credit: psirt@paloaltonetworks.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent | =6.1 | |
| Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent | =7.2 | |
| Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent | =7.2-content_update149 | |
| Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent | =7.2-content_update150 | |
| Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent | =7.3 | |
| Microsoft Windows |
Remedy
This issue is fixed in Cortex XDR agent 6.1, Cortex XDR agent 7.2, Cortex XDR agent 7.3, and all later Cortex XDR agent versions with content update 181 or later content updates. Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.
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Reference Links
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-3042?
CVE-2021-3042 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms.
How does CVE-2021-3042 affect Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent?
CVE-2021-3042 allows an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges.
Which versions of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent are affected by CVE-2021-3042?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent versions 6.1, 7.2, 7.2-content_update149, and 7.2-content_update150 are affected by CVE-2021-3042.
What is the severity of CVE-2021-3042?
CVE-2021-3042 has a severity rating of 7.8 (high).
How can CVE-2021-3042 be mitigated?
Apply the latest security update from Palo Alto Networks to fix CVE-2021-3042.
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