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GlobalprotectApplication · Paloaltonetworks

CVE-2020-2033

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-06-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.10 / 5.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
When the pre-logon feature is enabled, a missing certification validation in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app can disclose the pre-logon authentication cookie to a man-in-the-middle attacker on the same local area network segment with the ability to manipulate ARP or to conduct ARP spoofing attacks. This allows the attacker to access the GlobalProtect Server as allowed by configured Security rules for the 'pre-login' user. This access may be limited compared to the network access of regular users. This issue affects: GlobalProtect app 5.0 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.0.10 when the prelogon feature is enabled; GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.4 when the prelogon feature is enabled.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Missing certificate validation in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app allows a man-in-the-middle attacker on the same LAN segment (with ARP manipulation capability) to steal the pre-logon authentication cookie. This grants the attacker access to the GlobalProtect Server with pre-login user privileges, which may have limited but non-zero network access compared to regular authenticated users.

MitigationUpgrade GlobalProtect app to version 5.0.10 or later (for 5.x) or 5.1.4 or later (for 5.1.x), or disable the pre-logon feature if upgrading is not immediately feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
GlobalprotectApplication
Affected:>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.10>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify GlobalProtect app version on endpoints
    On Windows, open Programs and Features or check C:\Program Files\Palo Alto Networks\GlobalProtect\version.txt. On macOS, run 'defaults read /Applications/GlobalProtect.app/Contents/Info CFBundleVersion' or check the app info in System Preferences.
    Affected if The installed version is 5.0.0 through 5.0.9, or 5.1.0 through 5.1.3 (versions below 5.0.10 or 5.1.4).
  2. Determine if pre-logon authentication is configured
    On the Palo Alto Networks firewall or Panorama management console, go to GlobalProtect > Portals > select your portal > Agent > Pre-logon. Check if a Pre-logon Configuration is assigned to the agent.
    Affected if Pre-logon is enabled and configured, as this is the feature that exposes the authentication cookie during the pre-login phase.
  3. Check GlobalProtect client configuration for certificate validation settings
    On the endpoint, examine the GlobalProtect client configuration file (typically in %ProgramData%\Palo Alto Networks\GlobalProtect\ on Windows or /Library/Application Support/GlobalProtect/ on macOS). Look for settings related to certificate validation or server certificate verification.
    Affected if Certificate validation is disabled or set to optional, allowing MITM attacks without proper server verification.
  4. Review network segment exposure
    Assess whether endpoints are on network segments where an attacker could perform ARP manipulation. This includes shared Ethernet hubs, unsecured WiFi networks, or VLANs with untrusted systems.
    Affected if Endpoints are on shared or untrusted network segments where ARP poisoning or MITM attacks are plausible, combined with vulnerable GlobalProtect versions.

You are affected if GlobalProtect app versions 5.0.0-5.0.9 or 5.1.0-5.1.3 are installed AND pre-logon authentication is enabled, making the pre-logon cookie susceptible to theft via MITM attacks on your network segment.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.0.10 / 5.1.4 or later
Fixed in 5.0.105.1.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GlobalProtect app to version 5.0.10 or later (for 5.x) or 5.1.4 or later (for 5.1.x), or disable the pre-logon feature if upgrading is not immediately feasible.

Fix this in Globalprotect Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-2033 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data