GlobalProtect App: Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision
CVE-2025-0117 is a high-severity reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision vulnerability in GlobalProtect App from Palo Alto Networks, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. The record lists versions 6.3.3, 6.2.6, 10.2.14 as the first without the flaw, so updating GlobalProtect App to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.16% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update GlobalProtect App to 6.3.3 or 6.2.6 or 10.2.14 or 10.1.14-h11, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks | GlobalProtect App | 6.3.0 up to, but not including, 6.3.3; 6.2.0 up to, but not including, 6.2.6; 6.1.0 up to, but not including, 10.2.14; 6.0.0 up to, but not including, 10.1.14-h11 | 6.3.3, 6.2.6, 10.2.14, 10.1.14-h11 |
| Palo Alto Networks | GlobalProtect UWP App | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- PassiveA user only needs to do something routine, such as viewing a page.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber. Scored by CNA (paloaltonetworks.com).
Official description
A reliance on untrusted input for a security decision in the GlobalProtect app on Windows devices potentially enables a locally authenticated non-administrative Windows user to escalate their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. GlobalProtect App on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and GlobalProtect UWP App are not affected.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision
The product uses a protection mechanism that relies on the existence or values of an input, but the input can be modified by an untrusted actor in a way that bypasses the protection mechanism.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. With a stateless protocol such as HTTP, use a framework that maintains the state for you. Examples include ASP.NET View State and the OWASP ESAPI Session Management feature. Be careful of language features that provide state support, since these might be provided as a convenience to the programmer and may not be considering security.
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- When using PHP, configure the application so that it does not use register_globals. During implementation, develop the application so that it does not rely on this feature, but be wary of implementing a register_globals emulation that is subject to weaknesses such as CWE-95, CWE-621, and similar issues.
More Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision vulnerabilities (CWE-807)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in GlobalProtect App
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Recent Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision vulnerabilities
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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