CVE-2022-0015: Cortex XDR Agent: An Uncontrolled Search Path Element Leads to Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
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: 2022-01-12 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-427

Description

A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent that enables an authenticated local user to execute programs with elevated privileges. This issue impacts: Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 5.0.12; Cortex XDR agent 6.1 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 6.1.9.

Affected products

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent: from 5.0 before 5.0.12; from 6.1 before 6.1.9 — fixed in 5.0.12, 6.1.9
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent: from 5.0 before 5.0.12; from 6.1 before 6.1.9 — fixed in 5.0.12, 6.1.9

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 5.0.12, 6.1.9; Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent 5.0.12, 6.1.9. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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