CVE-2025-0124 PAN-OS: Authenticated File Deletion Vulnerability on the Management Web Interface

Description

An authenticated file deletion vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enables an authenticated attacker with network access to the management web interface to delete certain files as the “nobody” user; this includes limited logs and configuration files but does not include system files.

The attacker must have network access to the management web interface to exploit this issue. You greatly reduce the risk of this issue by restricting access to the management web interface to only trusted internal IP addresses according to our recommended critical deployment guidelines.

This issue affects Cloud NGFW. However, this issue does not affect Prisma® Access software.

Product Status

PAN-OS 11.0, PAN-OS 10.0, PAN-OS 9.1, PAN-OS 9.0, and earlier PAN-OS versions have reached their software end-of-life (EoL) dates and are no longer evaluated for vulnerabilities so we do not plan to fix this issue in these EoL versions. You should presume that these versions are affected.

Required Configuration for Exposure

The risk is greatest if you enabled access to the management interface from the internet or from any untrusted network either:

1. Directly; or
2. Through a dataplane interface that includes a management interface profile.

You greatly reduce the risk if you ensure that you allow only trusted internal IP addresses to access the management interface.

Use the following steps to identify your recently detected devices in our internet scans.

1. To find any assets that require remediation action, visit the Assets section of the Customer Support Portal at https://support.paloaltonetworks.com (Products → Assets → All Assets → Remediation Required).
2. Review the list of your devices that we discovered in our scans to have an internet-facing management interface. We tagged these devices with ‘PAN-SA-2024-0015’ and a last seen timestamp (in UTC). If you do not see any such devices listed, then our scan did not find any devices associated with your account that had an internet-facing management interface within the past three days.

GlobalProtect™ portals and gateways are not vulnerable to this issue. However, if you configure a management profile on interfaces with GlobalProtect portals or gateways, then you expose the device to attacks through the management web interface (typically accessible on port 4443).

Severity: LOW, Suggested Urgency: MODERATE

The risk is highest when you allow access to the management interface from external IP addresses on the internet.
LOW - CVSS-BT: 2.0 /CVSS-B: 5.1 (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/AU:N/R:U/V:C/RE:M/U:Amber)

You greatly reduce the risk of exploitation by restricting access to a jump box that is the only system allowed to access the management interface. This ensures that attacks can succeed only if they obtain privileged access through those specified internal IP addresses.
LOW - CVSS-BT: 1.2 /CVSS-B: 2.1 (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/AU:N/R:U/V:C/RE:M/U:Amber)

Exploitation Status

Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this issue.

Weakness Type and Impact

CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path

CAPEC-165 File Manipulation

Solution

PAN-OS 11.0 has reached EoL. We listed it here for completeness because a patch for PAN-OS 11.0 was released before it reached EoL. If you are still using any vulnerable EoL versions, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to a supported fixed PAN-OS version.

Workarounds and Mitigations

Recommended mitigation—The vast majority of firewalls already follow Palo Alto Networks and industry best practices. However, if you have not already, we strongly recommend that you secure access to your management interface according to our best practices deployment guidelines. Specifically, you should restrict management interface access to only trusted internal IP addresses.

Review information about how to secure management access to your Palo Alto Networks firewalls:

• Palo Alto Networks LIVEcommunity article:https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/t5/community-blogs/tips-amp-tricks-how-to-secure-the-management-access-of-your-palo/ba-p/464431

• Palo Alto Networks official and detailed technical documentation:https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/best-practices/10-1/administrative-access-best-practices/administrative-access-best-practices/deploy-administrative-access-best-practices

Acknowledgments

CPEs

Timeline