CVE-2026-0293: Prisma Access Agent Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-0293 Overview

CVE-2026-0293 is a security feature bypass vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Prisma® Access Agent on Windows. A local attacker with administrator privileges can circumvent the agent's anti-tamper protection. Successful exploitation grants unauthorized access to protected processes and files that the agent normally shields from modification.

The Prisma Access Agent versions for Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS are not affected. The weakness is classified under [CWE-693] (Protection Mechanism Failure). No public proof-of-concept exploit has been observed, and the issue is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Critical Impact
An administrator-level local attacker can disable Prisma Access Agent tamper protections on Windows, undermining endpoint enforcement of the secure access service edge (SASE) policy.

Affected Products

Palo Alto Networks Prisma® Access Agent for Windows
Prisma Access Agent for Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS are not affected

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-13 - CVE-2026-0293 published to NVD
2026-08-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-0293

Vulnerability Analysis

The Prisma Access Agent enforces anti-tamper controls on Windows to prevent modification of its runtime processes, service binaries, and configuration files. These controls exist to keep local users, including administrators of managed endpoints, from disabling or corrupting the SASE enforcement layer.

CVE-2026-0293 allows a local actor holding administrator privileges to bypass those controls. Once the anti-tamper layer is defeated, the attacker can read from and write to files and interact with processes that the agent designates as protected. This provides a foundation for disabling the agent, altering routed traffic, or tampering with telemetry the agent forwards to Prisma Access.

The issue is scoped to local exploitation and requires high privileges. It does not permit remote code execution or unauthenticated compromise. Availability of the host is not directly impacted, but the integrity and confidentiality of agent-protected assets are.

Root Cause

The underlying weakness is a protection mechanism failure [CWE-693]. The agent's tamper controls do not fully constrain a caller executing with local administrator rights, so a privileged process can reach objects that policy intends to isolate from administrator-level access.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to a Windows host running the affected Prisma Access Agent and administrator privileges on that host. An attacker with these prerequisites interacts with the agent's protected processes and files after neutralizing the tamper protection. Refer to the Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory for vendor-supplied technical detail. No exploitation code is documented at this time.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-0293

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected termination, restart, or service-state changes of Prisma Access Agent processes on Windows endpoints.
Modification of Prisma Access Agent binaries, drivers, or configuration files under the installation directory in Program Files.
Registry changes affecting the Prisma Access Agent service configuration or startup parameters.
Loss of endpoint telemetry or heartbeat from managed devices in the Prisma Access console without a corresponding maintenance event.

Detection Strategies

Alert on local administrator accounts spawning tools that open handles to Prisma Access Agent processes with write or terminate access rights.
Detect writes to protected agent file paths using file integrity monitoring baselined against vendor-signed installers and updates.
Correlate service stop and start events for the Prisma Access Agent service with the originating process and user context.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Windows Security, Sysmon, and application event logs from endpoints to a centralized log platform for retention and correlation.
Track administrative logon events and privilege elevations on hosts that run the Prisma Access Agent.
Review Prisma Access console alerts for agents reporting tamper events or falling out of policy compliance.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-0293

Immediate Actions Required

Inventory Windows endpoints running the Prisma Access Agent and identify the installed version.
Apply the fixed Prisma Access Agent version identified in the Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory once available in your tenant.
Restrict local administrator rights on endpoints to reduce the population of accounts capable of exercising this bypass.
Audit recent administrator activity on managed devices for signs of agent tampering.

Patch Information

Palo Alto Networks tracks fixed versions and remediation guidance in its security advisory portal. Consult the Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory for CVE-2026-0293 for authoritative version and upgrade details.

Workarounds

Enforce least privilege on Windows endpoints so that day-to-day accounts do not carry local administrator rights.
Use application control policies to block unauthorized tooling commonly used to manipulate protected processes.
Monitor and alert on service configuration changes and file modifications affecting the Prisma Access Agent installation.

bash

# Example: query installed Prisma Access Agent version on Windows (PowerShell)
Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Product |
  Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*Prisma Access*" } |
  Select-Object Name, Version, Vendor