CVE-2025-4232: GlobalProtect Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-4232 Overview

CVE-2025-4232 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on macOS. The vulnerability stems from an improper neutralization of wildcards in the log collection feature, which allows a non-administrative user to escalate their privileges to root on the affected system. This represents a significant security risk for organizations deploying GlobalProtect as their VPN solution on macOS endpoints.

Critical Impact

Non-administrative local users can exploit the log collection feature to gain root privileges, potentially compromising the entire macOS system and accessing sensitive corporate resources protected by the VPN.

Affected Products

• Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on macOS (vulnerable versions)
• macOS endpoints with GlobalProtect VPN client installed
• Enterprise environments utilizing GlobalProtect for remote access

Discovery Timeline

• June 13, 2025 - CVE-2025-4232 published to NVD
• June 27, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4232

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-155 (Improper Neutralization of Wildcards or Matching Symbols), indicating that the GlobalProtect application fails to properly sanitize or neutralize wildcard characters in user-supplied input within the log collection feature. On macOS systems, the GlobalProtect application runs certain operations with elevated privileges. When the log collection feature processes input containing wildcards, these characters are interpreted by the underlying system in unintended ways, allowing an attacker to manipulate file paths or command execution contexts.

The local attack vector means an attacker must have some level of access to the target macOS system, but this could include a standard user account without administrative privileges—a common scenario in enterprise environments where users operate under least-privilege principles. The vulnerability requires no user interaction beyond the attacker having local access to the system.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the insufficient input validation and sanitization within the GlobalProtect log collection functionality on macOS. The application fails to properly escape or neutralize wildcard characters (such as *, ?, and bracket expressions) before passing user-controlled input to system operations. This allows an attacker to craft malicious input that, when processed by the log collection feature, results in unintended file operations or command execution with root privileges.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to a macOS system with the vulnerable GlobalProtect application installed. An attacker with a standard user account can interact with the log collection feature, injecting specially crafted input containing wildcard characters. These wildcards are then processed without proper sanitization, allowing the attacker to:

1. Manipulate file paths to access or modify files outside the intended log directories
2. Leverage the elevated privileges of the GlobalProtect service to execute operations as root
3. Potentially chain this with other techniques to achieve persistent root access

The exploitation does not require complex attack chains or sophisticated tooling, making it accessible to attackers with basic local access and knowledge of the vulnerability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4232

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected file access or modification in system directories by the GlobalProtect process
• Anomalous log collection activities initiated by non-administrative users
• Creation of new files or processes with root ownership originating from GlobalProtect operations
• Unusual wildcard patterns in GlobalProtect log collection inputs or configuration files

Detection Strategies

• Monitor GlobalProtect process activity for unexpected child processes or file system operations
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical macOS system directories
• Audit log collection feature usage and correlate with user privilege levels
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify privilege escalation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for GlobalProtect application events on macOS endpoints
• Configure SIEM alerts for privilege escalation patterns originating from VPN client processes
• Implement behavioral analysis to detect anomalous GlobalProtect process behavior
• Monitor for unexpected root-level operations correlated with GlobalProtect service activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4232

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory for specific affected versions and patch availability
• Prioritize patching GlobalProtect installations on macOS endpoints
• Restrict local access to systems where possible until patches are applied
• Implement additional monitoring on affected endpoints

Patch Information

Palo Alto Networks has published a security advisory addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the official Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory for CVE-2025-4232 for detailed information on affected versions and available patches. Upgrade to the latest patched version of GlobalProtect for macOS as specified in the vendor advisory.

Workarounds

• Limit local user access to macOS systems with GlobalProtect installed where feasible
• Apply principle of least privilege rigorously to reduce the attack surface
• Consider disabling or restricting access to the log collection feature if not operationally required until a patch can be applied
• Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized processes from executing with elevated privileges