GlobalProtect App: Untrusted Search Path
CVE-2025-0141 is a high-severity untrusted search path vulnerability in GlobalProtect App from Palo Alto Networks, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.4 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-h1 (6.3.3-c650), 6.2.8-h2 (6.2.8-c243), 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 0.18% 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-h1 (6.3.3-c650) or 6.2.8-h2 (6.2.8-c243) or 6.2.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
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-h1 (6.3.3-c650); 6.2.0 up to, but not including, 6.2.8-h2 (6.2.8-c243); 6.1.0; 6.0.0; 6.2.0 up to, but not including, 6.2.8 | 6.3.3-h1 (6.3.3-c650), 6.2.8-h2 (6.2.8-c243), 6.2.8 |
| 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
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- 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:N/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
An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ App on enables a locally authenticated non administrative user to escalate their privileges to root on macOS and Linux or NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows. The GlobalProtect app on 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: Untrusted Search Path
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
- When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
- Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.
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 Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities
- 8.4 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
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