PAN-OS: GlobalProtect Authentication Bypass Vulnerabilities
Affects PAN-OS and Prisma Access GlobalProtect setups that have authentication override cookies enabled alongside a specific certificate configuration. Fixed in PAN-OS 12.1.7 and later.
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Listed in CISA KEV
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Actively exploited
- Fix
- Fixed in 12.1.7, 12.1.4-h6, 11.2.12, 11.2.10-h7, 11.2.7-h14, 11.2.4-h17, 11.1.15, 11.1.13-h5, 11.1.10-h25, 11.1.7-h6, 11.1.6-h32, 11.1.4-h33, 10.2.18-h6, 10.2.16-h7, 10.2.13-h21, 10.2.10-h36, 10.2.7-h34, 10.2.10-h36, and 1 more
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
- Exploitation: active
- Automatable: no
- Technical impact: total
Summary
The GlobalProtect portal and gateway in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software are affected. An attacker can exploit these authentication bypass flaws to get around security restrictions and set up an unauthorized VPN connection.
Summarized by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5. Verify details against the original sources.
Read the original description
Authentication bypass vulnerabilities in the GlobalProtect portal and gateway of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software allows the attacker to bypass security restrictions and establish an unauthorized VPN connection. Panorama and Cloud NGFW are not impacted by these issues.
Timeline
- CVE published
- CISA SSVC assessment
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
- Added to CISA KEV
CISA has evidence of exploitation in the wild
- CISA remediation deadline
Due date for US federal agencies to patch
- Record last updated
- EPSS reached 10%
FIRST estimates at least a 10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Affected versions
- Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW
Version range not reported
- Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS
From 12.1.0 · fixed in 12.1.7, 12.1.4-h6; From 11.2.0 · fixed in 11.2.12, 11.2.10-h7, 11.2.7-h14, 11.2.4-h17; From 11.1.0 · fixed in 11.1.15, 11.1.13-h5, 11.1.10-h25, 11.1.7-h6, 11.1.6-h32, 11.1.4-h33; From 10.2.0 · fixed in 10.2.18-h6, 10.2.16-h7, 10.2.13-h21, 10.2.10-h36, 10.2.7-h34
- Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
From 10.2.0 · fixed in 10.2.10-h36; From 11.2.0 · fixed in 11.2.7-h13
References 1
security.paloaltonetworks.com
Questions about CVE-2026-0257
What does this mean?
The bug lets an attacker bypass security restrictions and establish an unauthorized VPN connection. It sits in GlobalProtect's authentication override cookie handling.Source: security.paloaltonetworks.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
The issue affects GlobalProtect portal or gateway configurations with authentication override cookies enabled, and a specific certificate configuration must also exist. PAN-OS branches from 10.2.0 up to their listed fixed builds are in scope, as are Prisma Access 10.2.0 to 10.2.10-h36 and 11.2.0 to 11.2.7-h13; Cloud NGFW is listed without version ranges. To check, look at the PAN-OS version and whether Authentication Override is enabled in the GlobalProtect portal and gateway settings.Source: security.paloaltonetworks.com
What should I do about it?
Upgrade to PAN-OS 12.1.7 or later, as the advisory states. Where a branch-specific fixed build is listed, that build is the target for that branch; if you cannot upgrade yet, use a dedicated certificate for authentication override cookies or disable Authentication Override in the portal and gateway configuration.Source: security.paloaltonetworks.com
Is it being exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-05-29, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cisa.gov, cve.now feed data