CVE-2021-3061

Administrator privilege escalation via CLI command injection

Published Nov 10, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

OS command injection in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS allows local users with administrator CLI access to execute arbitrary OS commands. Palo Alto Networks has not published the vulnerable CLI command or how its argument reaches an operating-system command interpreter. Affected versions span the 8.1, 9.0, 9.1, 10.0, and 10.1 branches, and successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the CLI's intended command set.

CVSS severity6.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

OS command injection in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS allows local users with administrator CLI access to execute arbitrary OS commands. Palo Alto Networks has not published the vulnerable CLI command or how its argument reaches an operating-system command interpreter. Affected versions span the 8.1, 9.0, 9.1, 10.0, and 10.1 branches, and successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the CLI's intended command set.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-3061
Published
Nov 10, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Palo Alto Networks
Product
PAN-OS
Classifications
CWE-78, T1059, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 10, 2021CVE 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.0.8 changes=[{"at":"10.0.8","status":"unaffected"}]
  2. Affected versionversion=10.1 <10.1.3 changes=[{"at":"10.1.3","status":"unaffected"}]
  3. Affected versionversion=8.1 <8.1.20-h1 changes=[{"at":"8.1.20-h1","status":"unaffected"}]
  4. Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.0.14-h3 changes=[{"at":"9.0.14-h3","status":"unaffected"}]
  5. Affected versionversion=9.1 <9.1.11-h2 changes=[{"at":"9.1.11-h2","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Palo Alto Networks · PAN-OSversion=10.0 <10.0.8 changes=[{"at":"10.0.8","status":"unaffected"}]; version=10.1 <10.1.3 changes=[{"at":"10.1.3","status":"unaffected"}]; version=8.1 <8.1.20-h1 changes=[{"at":"8.1.20-h1","status":"unaffected"}]; version=9.0 <9.0.14-h3 changes=[{"at":"9.0.14-h3","status":"unaffected"}]; version=9.1 <9.1.11-h2 changes=[{"at":"9.1.11-h2","status":"unaffected"}]
Palo Alto Networks · Prisma Accessversion=2.1 Innovation; version=2.1 Preferred

Published CVSS scores

9.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
6.4Palo Alto NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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