dbcve.org
GlobalprotectApplication · Paloaltonetworks

CVE-2022-0016

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.2.9 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
An improper handling of exceptional conditions vulnerability exists within the Connect Before Logon feature of the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app that enables a local attacker to escalate to SYSTEM or root privileges when authenticating with Connect Before Logon under certain circumstances. This issue impacts GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.9 on Windows and MacOS. This issue does not affect the GlobalProtect app on other platforms.

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

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Connect Before Logon feature of Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app versions before 5.2.9 allows an authenticated local attacker to gain SYSTEM (Windows) or root (MacOS) privileges by exploiting improper handling of exceptional conditions during the authentication process.

MitigationUpgrade GlobalProtect app to version 5.2.9 or later on all Windows and MacOS endpoints. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling the Connect Before Logon feature as a compensating control.

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:>= 5.2, < 5.2.9

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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. Verify GlobalProtect is installed
    Check for the presence of GlobalProtect application on the system. On Windows, look for the installation directory (typically in Program Files). On MacOS, check /Applications for GlobalProtect.app.
    Affected if GlobalProtect is not installed on the endpoint.
  2. Determine installed GlobalProtect version
    Retrieve the installed version number. On Windows, this may be available via the executable's properties or registry. On MacOS, right-click the app and select Get Info, or use system_profiler to query installed applications.
    Affected if Unable to retrieve version information.
  3. Confirm Connect Before Logon feature is enabled
    Locate the GlobalProtect settings or configuration panel. Check whether the Connect Before Logon (or equivalent pre-logon connection feature) is enabled. This feature allows the VPN to connect before user logon.
    Affected if The Connect Before Logon feature is not enabled or not configurable on the endpoint.
  4. Compare version against affected range
    Take the installed version number and compare it to the affected range: version 5.2 or higher but lower than 5.2.9. If the installed version falls within >= 5.2 and < 5.2.9, the system is vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is 5.2 or higher but lower than 5.2.9 AND Connect Before Logon is enabled.

The endpoint is affected if GlobalProtect version is 5.2 or higher but below 5.2.9 AND the Connect Before Logon feature is enabled.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.2.9 or later
Fixed in 5.2.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GlobalProtect app to version 5.2.9 or later on all Windows and MacOS endpoints. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling the Connect Before Logon feature as a compensating control.

Recommended fix High confidence

GlobalProtect app 5.2.9 or later

  1. 1. Verify the current GlobalProtect app version installed on affected Windows or MacOS systems
  2. 2. Download GlobalProtect app version 5.2.9 or later from the Palo Alto Networks support portal
  3. 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment first to ensure compatibility
  4. 4. Deploy the upgrade to production systems following standard change management procedures
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the GlobalProtect app version after installation
Caveat Review Palo Alto Networks release notes for any known compatibility issues or changes in functionality between current version and 5.2.9

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Globalprotect Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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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-2022-0016 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

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