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Pan OsOperating system · Paloaltonetworks

CVE-2023-6792

MEDIUM · 6.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.1.24 / 9.0.17 or later.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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 OS command injection vulnerability in the XML API of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software enables an authenticated API user to disrupt system processes and potentially execute arbitrary code with limited privileges on the firewall.

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

OS command injection vulnerability in the XML API of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS allows an authenticated API user with limited privileges to potentially execute arbitrary code on the firewall by injecting OS commands through the API interface.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for PAN-OS per Palo Alto Networks security advisory; restrict XML API access to trusted IP addresses and minimize privileges for API users until patched.

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
Pan OsOperating system
Affected:>= 8.1.0, < 8.1.24>= 9.0.0, < 9.0.17>= 9.1.0, < 9.1.15>= 10.0.0, < 10.0.12>= 10.1.0, < 10.1.6

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

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

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 PAN-OS version
    Run 'show system info' via CLI or check the web interface under Device > Setup > Operations > Device Information. Look for the 'PAN-OS' or 'Software Version' field.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 8.1.0 to 8.1.24, 9.0.0 to 9.0.17, 9.1.0 to 9.1.15, 10.0.0 to 10.0.12, or 10.1.0 to 10.1.6.
  2. Confirm XML API is accessible
    Verify the firewall has the XML API endpoint enabled. Check under Device > Setup > Management > API Settings, or attempt to reach https://<firewall-ip>/api/ from an authorized host. Look for the 'Enable XML API' setting.
    Affected if The XML API is enabled and reachable on the device.
  3. Review API user accounts
    List all API users under Device > Access Control > API Keys, or run 'show admins' in CLI. Identify any users with API key access, particularly those with 'read-only' or limited role assignments.
    Affected if Any API user account exists with authentication capabilities, even with limited privileges.
  4. Check XML API exposure
    Review the management interface settings under Network > Interfaces > Management. Determine if the XML API is bound to an interface accessible from untrusted networks (such as outside-facing interfaces or DMZ).
    Affected if The XML API is accessible from interfaces other than dedicated management networks, or from the internet.
  5. Audit API access logs
    Run 'show log system' filtering for 'api' or 'xml-api' events, or check the Traffic logs for API activity. Look for API requests originating from unexpected sources.
    Affected if API access occurs from IP addresses outside of trusted administrative subnets.

You are affected if the PAN-OS version is within any of the listed vulnerable ranges AND the XML API is enabled and accessible, regardless of API user privilege level.

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 8.1.24 / 9.0.17 / 9.1.15 or later
Fixed in 8.1.249.0.179.1.15
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch for PAN-OS per Palo Alto Networks security advisory; restrict XML API access to trusted IP addresses and minimize privileges for API users until patched.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to PAN-OS 8.1.24 (or latest 8.1.x), 9.0.17 (or latest 9.0.x), 9.1.15 (or latest 9.1.x), or 10.0.12 (or latest 10.0.x) based on your current branch

  1. Identify your current PAN-OS version from the Device > Dashboard or via 'show system info' command
  2. Determine which version branch you are on (8.1.x, 9.0.x, 9.1.x, or 10.0.x)
  3. Download the appropriate fixed release from the Palo Alto Networks Support Portal: 8.1.24 for 8.1.x, 9.0.17 for 9.0.x, 9.1.15 for 9.1.x, or 10.0.12 for 10.0.x
  4. Review the PAN-OS Upgrade Guide and release notes for your target version for any pre-upgrade requirements
  5. Back up your PAN-OS configuration via Device > Setup > Operations > Save config or 'save config' command
  6. Upload the new PAN-OS image via Device > Software or via CLI: 'request system software upload <filename>'
  7. Install the software: Device > Software > Install or via CLI: 'request system software install <filename>'
  8. Reboot the firewall after installation completes
Caveat Review release notes for breaking changes; major version upgrades may require configuration adjustments or feature changes

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

Fix this in Pan Os Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,480
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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-2023-6792 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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