GlobalProtect App: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
CVE-2025-0120 is a high-severity execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in GlobalProtect App from Palo Alto Networks, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.0 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 6.3.3, 6.2.8 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 6.2.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Globalprotect to 6.0.12 or 6.2.7-1077 or 6.3.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on security.paloaltonetworks.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
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, 6.2.8; 6.1.0; 6.0.0 | 6.3.3, 6.2.8 |
| Palo Alto Networks | GlobalProtect UWP App | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Palo Alto Networks | Globalprotect | 6.0.0 up to, but not including, 6.0.12; 6.1.0 up to, but not including, 6.2.7-1077; 6.3.0 up to, but not including, 6.3.3 | 6.0.12, 6.2.7-1077, 6.3.3 |
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
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 7.1 | High | CNA (paloaltonetworks.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | NVD |
Official description
A vulnerability with a privilege management mechanism in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on Windows devices allows a locally authenticated non-administrative Windows user to escalate their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. However, execution requires that the local user can also successfully exploit a race condition, which makes this vulnerability difficult to exploit.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
More Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-250)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
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 Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 8.9 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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