Zero Radar
← feed
CriticalVulnerabilityCVE-2026-0322updated 25 Oct 2026, 17:35 UTC

Palo Alto PAN-OS firewalls: attacker with login can run code as root

Someone who already has a login to the firewall's management page could run their own commands with full control of the device. Because the firewall guards your network, that control could let them reach or change everything behind it.

Exploited (CISA KEV)Partial fixOfficial, 2 sources
SeverityCriticalCVSS 8.6 of 10
Being exploited?YesConfirmed by CISA KEV · 14 Oct 2026
Fix available?PartlyNot for every affected version · since 25 Oct 2026
How sure is this?Official, 2 sourcesBacked by an official source

How the attack works simplified

  1. 1Attacker with loginNeeds valid authenticated access first
  2. 2Reaches management interfaceVia network access to the firewall
  3. 3Injects malicious codeCode injection in management interface
  4. 4Runs as rootArbitrary commands with root privileges
  5. ResultAttacker controls the firewall

What happened

A remote code execution flaw in the management interface of PAN-OS lets an authenticated user with network access execute arbitrary code with root privileges. It affects PA-Series and VM-Series firewalls and Panorama (virtual and M-Series).

Why it is dangerous: Full root control of a firewall or Panorama can expose internal networks, let attackers disable security rules, and steal credentials. Organizations with management interfaces reachable from wider networks or the internet are most at risk, and CISA confirms it is being exploited.

Are you affected?

You are affected if you run PAN-OS on PA-Series or VM-Series firewalls or on Panorama (virtual or M-Series). Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access are not impacted.

PAN-OS software on PA-Series and VM-Series firewalls; Panorama (virtual and M-Series). Specific affected versions: unknown.

What to do

  1. Restrict management interface access to trusted internal IP addresses only, following Palo Alto's best-practice guidance
  2. Apply the mitigations and patches from Palo Alto Networks' vendor advisory
  3. Check whether each device's management interface is exposed to the internet and prioritize those devices
  4. Follow CISA BOD 26-04 and its Forensics Triage Requirements if you suspect compromise

Timeline

  1. 14 Oct 2026, 00:00 UTC
    Publicly disclosed
  2. 14 Oct 2026, 00:00 UTC
    Reported by CISA KEV · CISA KEV
  3. 25 Oct 2026, 15:21 UTC
    A fix was published
  4. 25 Oct 2026, 17:35 UTC
    GitHub Advisory reported on it · GitHub Advisory

Sources 2 reports, oldest first

Official vendor, government CERT or advisory database

Technical details

ID
CVE-2026-0322 · GHSA-9fh3-97mp-7wmv
CVSS
8.6 / 10
EPSS
1.7% chance of exploitation within 30 days
Disclosed
14 Oct 2026, 00:00 UTC
On Zero Radar
before the radar started
Last change
25 Oct 2026, 17:35 UTC

The plain-language parts and the attack diagram were written by an AI model (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5) from the sources above. Facts like versions, exploitation and dates come from the sources themselves. How Zero Radar works

Palo Alto PAN-OS firewalls: attacker with login can run code as root · Zero Radar