title: Cortex XDR Agent: Improper Control of User-Controlled File Leads to Local Privilege Escalation
description: A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms that enables an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. Exploiting this vulnerability requires the user to have file creation privilege in the Windows root directory (such as C:\). This issue impacts: All versions of Cortex XDR agent 6.1 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.2 without content update 181 or a later version; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.3 without content update 181 or a later version. Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions are not impacted by this issue. Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.
problem types: CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element
affected:
{
product: Cortex XDR Agent
vendor: Palo Alto Networks
versions:
status: unaffected, version: 5.0 all
}
{
platforms: Windows
product: Cortex XDR Agent
vendor: Palo Alto Networks
versions:
status: affected, version: 6.1.* without content update 181 or later
status: unaffected, version: 6.1.* with content update 181 or later
status: affected, version: 7.2.* without content update 181 or later
}
{
platforms: Windows
product: Cortex XDR Agent
vendor: Palo Alto Networks
versions:
status: unaffected, version: 7.2.* with content update 181 or later
status: unaffected, version: 7.3.* with content update 181 or later
status: affected, version: 7.3.* without content update 181 or later
}
metrics:
cvssV3_1: [
attackComplexity: LOW
attackVector: LOCAL
availabilityImpact: HIGH
baseScore: 7.8
baseSeverity: HIGH
confidentialityImpact: HIGH
integrityImpact: HIGH
privilegesRequired: LOW
scope: UNCHANGED
userInteraction: NONE
vectorString: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
version: 3.1
]
exploits: Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this issue.
solutions: This issue is fixed in Cortex XDR agent 6.1, Cortex XDR agent 7.2, Cortex XDR agent 7.3, and all later Cortex XDR agent versions with content update 181 or later content updates.
Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.
workarounds: This issue is mitigated by preventing local authenticated Windows users from creating files in the Windows root directory (such as C:\).