CVE-2020-1975: Missing XML Validation in PAN-OS Web Interface

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.0% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2020-02-12 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-112

Description

Missing XML validation vulnerability in the PAN-OS web interface on Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software allows authenticated users to inject arbitrary XML that results in privilege escalation. This issue affects PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.12 and PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.6. This issue does not affect PAN-OS 7.1, PAN-OS 8.0, or PAN-OS 9.1 or later versions.

Affected products

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: from 8.1.0 before 8.1.12; from 9.0.0 before 9.0.6 — fixed in 8.1.12, 9.0.6
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: from 8.1 before 8.1.12; from 9.0 before 9.0.6 — fixed in 8.1.12, 9.0.6

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1.12, 9.0.6; Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1.12, 9.0.6. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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