CVE-2022-0025

Local privilege escalation via upgrade search-path hijacking

Published May 11, 2022 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Local privilege escalation in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 7.7.0 on Windows allows local users to execute programs with elevated privileges. During an upgrade to 7.7.0, the agent follows an uncontrolled executable search path that reaches the Windows root directory and runs an attacker-created program with elevated privileges. Exploitation requires an authenticated local user who can create a file in the Windows root directory; other platforms and versions are unaffected.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 7.7.0 on Windows allows local users to execute programs with elevated privileges. During an upgrade to 7.7.0, the agent follows an uncontrolled executable search path that reaches the Windows root directory and runs an attacker-created program with elevated privileges. Exploitation requires an authenticated local user who can create a file in the Windows root directory; other platforms and versions are unaffected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-0025
Published
May 11, 2022
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Palo Alto Networks
Product
Cortex XDR Agent
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.008
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=7.7 <7.7.1.62043 without CU-500 changes=[{"at":"7.7.1.62043","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Palo Alto Networks · Cortex XDR Agentversion=7.7 <7.7.1.62043 without CU-500 changes=[{"at":"7.7.1.62043","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

6.7Palo Alto NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:L/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.

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.008Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking

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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