CVE-2024-0012: PAN-OS Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-0012 Overview

An authentication bypass in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software enables an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the management web interface to gain PAN-OS administrator privileges to perform administrative actions, tamper with the configuration, or exploit other authenticated privilege escalation vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-9474.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain full administrative access to the system, posing a severe risk to network security.

Affected Products

• PAN-OS 10.2
• PAN-OS 11.0
• PAN-OS 11.1

Discovery Timeline

• Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Unknown
• Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Palo Alto Networks
• Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-0012 assigned
• Not Available - Palo Alto Networks releases security patch
• 2024-11-18 - CVE CVE-2024-0012 published to NVD
• 2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0012

Vulnerability Analysis

This authentication bypass issue in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS allows attackers with network access to the management web interface to leverage this flaw to gain administrative privileges.

Root Cause

The vulnerability arises from improper validation within the authentication module of PAN-OS, allowing unauthenticated requests to be validated as legitimate administrator connections.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely by an unauthenticated actor via the network, specifically targeting the management web interface.

# Example exploitation code (sanitized)
import requests

url = "http://paloalto.example.com/api"
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Access granted as administrator")

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0012

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual admin interface logins
• Configuration changes not performed by legitimate users
• Unknown IP addresses accessing the management interface

Detection Strategies

Utilize behavior analysis to identify abnormal patterns of access to the management interface, such as a spike in access from unfamiliar sources.

Monitoring Recommendations

Deploy SentinelOne’s Endpoint Protection to monitor for changes in access patterns and network behavior linked to unauthorized interface access.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0012

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict management interface access to trusted internal IP addresses.
• Enable logging and alerting for suspicious admin activities.
• Isolate compromised segments and conduct forensic analyses.

Patch Information

Apply patches as outlined in Palo Alto Networks Advisory.

Workarounds

Restrict network access using firewall rules and VPNs to allow only trusted sources to reach the management interface.

# Configuration example
iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.0.0/16 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP