CVE-2020-2018Network attack vector

Privileged firewall access via Panorama context switching

Published May 13, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Authentication bypass in PAN-OS 7.1, 8.0, 8.1, and 9.0 allows remote attackers to gain privileged firewall access through Panorama. The Panorama context-switching feature fails to authenticate a management-interface request correctly, but Palo Alto Networks has not disclosed the precise validation error. Exploitation requires network access and knowledge of managed firewalls; deployments using custom certificates for device authentication are not affected.

CVSS severity9.0
Critical
EPSS probability1.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in PAN-OS 7.1, 8.0, 8.1, and 9.0 allows remote attackers to gain privileged firewall access through Panorama. The Panorama context-switching feature fails to authenticate a management-interface request correctly, but Palo Alto Networks has not disclosed the precise validation error. Exploitation requires network access and knowledge of managed firewalls; deployments using custom certificates for device authentication are not affected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-2018
Published
May 13, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Palo Alto Networks
Product
PAN-OS
Classifications
CWE-287, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 13, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=7.1 <7.1.26 changes=[{"at":"7.1.26","status":"unaffected"}]
  2. Affected versionversion=8.0.*
  3. Affected versionversion=8.1 <8.1.12 changes=[{"at":"8.1.12","status":"unaffected"}]
  4. Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.0.6 changes=[{"at":"9.0.6","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Palo Alto Networks · PAN-OSversion=7.1 <7.1.26 changes=[{"at":"7.1.26","status":"unaffected"}]; version=8.0.*; version=8.1 <8.1.12 changes=[{"at":"8.1.12","status":"unaffected"}]; version=9.0 <9.0.6 changes=[{"at":"9.0.6","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

9.0Palo Alto NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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