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CriticalCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Authentication Bypass in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Management Web Interface

IdentifiersCVE-2024-0012CWE-287

CVE-2024-0012 is a critical improper authentication vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS management web interface affecting PAN-OS 10.2, 11.0, 11.1, and 11.2. It allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the management web interface to bypass authentication and obtain PAN-OS administrator privileges. Reporting in the provided content indicates the flaw resides in the PAN-OS management interface application and can be abused through the management web path exposed behind the device’s reverse proxy. Successful exploitation gives the attacker authenticated administrative access to the firewall management plane, after which they can perform administrative actions directly or chain the access with CVE-2024-9474, an authenticated privilege-escalation flaw, to achieve root-level command execution and full device compromise. Palo Alto Networks and multiple third-party reports state the vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild, particularly on internet-exposed management interfaces.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain PAN-OS administrator privileges on the management web interface. From that position, the attacker can modify device configuration, create or alter administrative settings, tamper with security policy, and use the administrative foothold to exploit additional authenticated vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-9474. When chained with CVE-2024-9474, the impact can extend to root-level command execution on the firewall, deployment of web shells or other malware, persistence, reconnaissance, lateral movement, and use of the compromised appliance as a staging point for further intrusion or cryptomining. The vulnerability has been associated with real-world post-exploitation activity including interactive command execution, web shell deployment, C2 activity, and miner installation.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Greatly reduce exposure by restricting access to the PAN-OS management web interface to trusted internal IP addresses only and eliminating Internet exposure of the management plane. Enforce vendor best-practice deployment guidance for management access, including network ACLs or equivalent controls limiting who can reach the interface. Increase monitoring for suspicious management-interface access, exploit attempts, unexpected administrative actions, web shell artifacts, outbound connections from the firewall, and post-exploitation behaviors. If immediate patching is not possible, strict access restriction of the management interface is the primary mitigation described in the provided content, but it does not remove risk from already-compromised devices.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade affected PAN-OS installations to vendor-fixed releases. The provided content identifies fixed-version boundaries as PAN-OS 10.2.12-h2 and later, 11.0.6-h1 and later, 11.1.5-h1 and later, and 11.2.4-h1 and later. Apply Palo Alto Networks’ patches for both CVE-2024-0012 and, where relevant, CVE-2024-9474 with highest priority after appropriate testing. If a device’s management interface was exposed to untrusted networks or exploitation is suspected, perform incident response actions in addition to patching: isolate the device, preserve snapshots or forensic artifacts where possible, assess for compromise, remove persistence, and rebuild or restore the device on updated software as recommended by vendor and national CERT guidance. Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access are not affected.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

6 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (2 hidden).

VALID 6 / 8 TOTALView more in app
PanOsExploitMultitoolMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a single main exploit tool, PanOsExploitMultitool.py, written in Python. The tool targets Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS devices vulnerable to CVE-2024-0012 and CVE-2024-9474, providing exploitation and post-exploitation capabilities. The script supports several commands: - 'check': Tests if a target is vulnerable. - 'shell': Exploits the target to obtain a reverse shell by chunking and writing a base64-encoded bash shell payload to a writable directory, then executing it to connect back to the attacker's listener. - 'dump': Retrieves and decrypts credentials from the target's configuration files using a known AES master key, and can also extract the full running configuration. - 'local': Decrypts credentials from a local XML config file, useful for offline analysis. - 'decrypt': Interactively decrypts encrypted credential strings using the public master key. The tool interacts with the PAN-OS management interface over HTTPS (default port 443), and uses file paths such as /var/tmp/ and /opt/pancfg/mgmt/saved-configs/ on the target device. It is operational and provides real exploitation and credential extraction capabilities, not just detection. The repository includes a README with detailed usage instructions and references, a requirements.txt for dependencies, and an Apache 2.0 license.

Regent8SHDisclosed May 21, 2025pythonnetwork
cve-2024-0012-gui-pocMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python GUI exploit tool targeting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS vulnerabilities CVE-2024-0012 (authentication bypass) and CVE-2024-9474 (authenticated command injection) in the management web interface. The main file, 'cve-2024-0012-gui.py', provides a PyQt5-based interface allowing the user to specify a target URL, command to execute, SSL verification, and request timeout. The exploit works by sending a crafted POST request to '/php/utils/createRemoteAppwebSession.php/cve.js.map' with a malicious 'user' parameter that injects a shell command. The output of the command is written to '/var/appweb/htdocs/unauth/cve.php', which is then accessed via HTTP to verify execution and retrieve the result. The tool automates the full exploit chain, including session creation, command execution, and output retrieval, and is operational with customizable command input. The README provides context and credits but no additional code.

dcollaoaDisclosed Feb 6, 2025pythonnetwork
CVE-2024-0012_CVE-2024-9474_PoCMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2024-0012 (authentication bypass) and CVE-2024-9474 (command execution) affecting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS. The main file, 'CVE-2024-0012_CVE-2024-9474_Exploit_Palo_Alto_PAN-OS_PoC.py', automates the exploitation process: it first checks if the target is vulnerable, extracts a PHP session ID, generates a double-base64-encoded bash reverse shell payload, and uploads it in chunks to the target using a vulnerable PHP endpoint. The script then reconstructs and decodes the payload on the target, writes it to a shell script, and executes it, resulting in a reverse shell connection to the attacker's listener. The exploit leverages specific HTTP endpoints on the target PAN-OS device and uses temporary files for payload assembly. The repository also includes a detailed README with usage instructions, vulnerability descriptions, and references. The exploit is operational and provides a working reverse shell if the target is vulnerable and properly configured.

TalatumLabsDisclosed Dec 11, 2024pythonnetwork
CVE-2024-0012MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python exploit script (cve-2024-0012.py) targeting CVE-2024-0012, an authentication bypass vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS. The exploit allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the management web interface to execute arbitrary commands as an administrator. The script supports both arbitrary command execution and deploying a reverse shell to the attacker's machine. It works by sending crafted HTTP requests to specific endpoints on the target PAN-OS device, exploiting the authentication bypass to inject commands. The repository consists of a single exploit script and a README with usage instructions. The exploit is operational, providing real command execution and reverse shell capabilities, and is not part of a larger framework.

0xjessie21Disclosed Nov 30, 2024pythonnetwork
CVE-2024-0012-pocMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2024-0012, targeting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS. The exploit leverages a command injection vulnerability via a crafted POST request to a specific endpoint. The payload executes 'netstat -ano' on the target and writes the output to a web-accessible file, which is then retrieved to confirm successful code execution. The script supports both single and batch URL testing via command-line arguments. The main code file is 'CVE-2024-0012', and the repository also includes a README with usage instructions. The exploit demonstrates operational maturity, as it provides a working payload and automates the exploitation process, but does not include advanced features such as a customizable shell. The attack vector is network-based, requiring HTTP access to the target endpoints. Several fingerprintable endpoints and a file path are hardcoded in the exploit, which are indicative of the targeted application structure.

iSee857Disclosed Nov 22, 2024pythonnetwork
CVE-2024-0012-POCMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2024-0012, a command injection vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS. The repository consists of a README.md with usage instructions and a single exploit script (cve-2024-0012-pan-os-poc.py). The script targets a PAN-OS device by sending a crafted POST request to '/php/utils/createRemoteAppwebSession.php/watchTowr.js.map' with a command injection payload that writes the output of 'uname -a' to '/var/appweb/htdocs/unauth/watchTowr.php'. It then triggers the execution and verifies exploitation by retrieving the output file via '/unauth/watchTowr.php'. The exploit demonstrates successful command execution but does not provide a weaponized or customizable payload. The main attack vector is network-based, requiring HTTP(S) access to the target device. The endpoints used in the exploit are clearly defined in the script.

SachinartDisclosed Nov 19, 2024pythonnetwork
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

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VendorProductType
PaloaltonetworksPan-Osoperating_system

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

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Associated malware4

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Detection signatures2

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

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Social activity5

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