CVE-2021-3041: Cortex XDR Agent: Improper control of user-controlled file leads to local privilege escalation

Severity: high (CVSS 7.2 v2.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2021-06-10 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-427

Description

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms that enables an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. This requires the user to have the privilege to create files in the Windows root directory or to manipulate key registry values. This issue impacts: Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 5.0.11; Cortex XDR agent 6.1 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 6.1.8; Cortex XDR agent 7.2 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 7.2.3; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.2 without content update release 171 or a later version.

Affected products

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent: from 5.0 before 5.0.11; from 6.1 before 6.1.8; from 7.2 before 7.2.3 — fixed in 5.0.11, 6.1.8, 7.2.3
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent: from 5.0 before 5.0.11; from 6.1 before 6.1.8; from 7.2 before 7.2.3 or without content update 171 or later — fixed in 5.0.11, 6.1.8, 7.2.3 or without content update 171 or later, 7.2.3 with content update 171 or later

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 5.0.11, 6.1.8, 7.2.3; Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 5.0.11, 6.1.8, 7.2.3 or without content update 171 or later, 7.2.3 with content update 171 or later. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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