CVE-2021-3046: PAN-OS: Improper SAML Authentication Vulnerability in GlobalProtect Portal

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2021-08-11 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-287

Description

An improper authentication vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software that enables a SAML authenticated attacker to impersonate any other user in the GlobalProtect Portal and GlobalProtect Gateway when they are configured to use SAML authentication. This issue impacts: PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.19; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.14; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.1.9; PAN-OS 10.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 10.0.5. PAN-OS 10.1 versions are not impacted.

Affected products

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: from 8.1.0 before 8.1.19; from 9.0.0 before 9.0.14; from 9.1.0 before 9.1.9; from 10.0.0 before 10.0.5 — fixed in 8.1.19, 9.0.14, 9.1.9, 10.0.5
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: from 8.1 before 8.1.19; from 9.0 before 9.0.14; from 9.1 before 9.1.9; from 10.0 before 10.0.5 — fixed in 8.1.19, 9.0.14, 9.1.9, 10.0.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1.19, 9.0.14, 9.1.9, 10.0.5; Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1.19, 9.0.14, 9.1.9, 10.0.5. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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