dbcve.org
GlobalprotectApplication · Paloaltonetworks

CVE-2025-4232

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.8 / 6.3.3 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 improper neutralization of wildcards vulnerability in the log collection feature of Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on macOS allows a non administrative user to escalate their privileges to root.

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 · moderate confidence

A privilege escalation vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app for macOS allows a non-administrative user to gain root access through improper neutralization of wildcards in the log collection feature. The vulnerability exploits how wildcards are handled when processing log files, enabling a local user to manipulate log paths or operations to execute code with elevated privileges.

MitigationApply vendor-provided patches for GlobalProtect app on macOS. Until a patch is available, restrict physical and local access to systems running the affected software and monitor for suspicious log collection activity.

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:>= 6.0.0, < 6.2.8>= 6.3.0, < 6.3.3

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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 macOS platform
    Confirm the system is running macOS by running 'uname -a' or checking 'sw_vers' output. This vulnerability only affects the GlobalProtect app for macOS.
    Affected if System is not macOS - this vulnerability does not apply to Windows or Linux versions.
  2. Check if GlobalProtect is installed
    Look for the GlobalProtect application in /Applications or query using 'system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType | grep -i GlobalProtect' or 'ls /Applications | grep -i GlobalProtect'.
    Affected if GlobalProtect app is not found on the system - the vulnerability does not apply.
  3. Determine installed GlobalProtect version
    Run 'defaults read /Applications/GlobalProtect.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleVersion' or right-click the app > Get Info to view the version number. Compare against affected ranges: 6.0.0 through 6.2.7, or 6.3.0 through 6.3.2.
    Affected if Installed version falls within >= 6.0.0 and < 6.2.8, OR >= 6.3.0 and < 6.3.3.
  4. Check if log collection feature is enabled
    Examine GlobalProtect configuration files in ~/Library/Application Support/GlobalProtect or /Library/Application Support/GlobalProtect for any log collection settings or configuration profiles. Look for entries related to 'log-collection', 'logs', or 'diagnostic' settings.
    Affected if Log collection feature is configured or enabled - the vulnerability exploits this feature.
  5. Review log collection configurations for wildcard manipulation
    Inspect any log collection configuration files or registry-like settings for improper use of wildcards in log file paths. Check for entries that may allow path manipulation such as '*' characters in log path specifications.
    Affected if Wildcards are present in log collection path configurations that could be manipulated by a non-administrative user.

A user is affected if they are running a vulnerable GlobalProtect version (6.0.0-6.2.7 or 6.3.0-6.3.2) on macOS with the log collection feature enabled and configurable by local users.

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 6.2.8 / 6.3.3 or later
Fixed in 6.2.86.3.3
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-provided patches for GlobalProtect app on macOS. Until a patch is available, restrict physical and local access to systems running the affected software and monitor for suspicious log collection activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

GlobalProtect 6.2.8 or later (6.2.x series), or 6.3.3 or later (6.3.x series)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed GlobalProtect version on macOS by checking the application or running: defaults read /Applications/GlobalProtect.app/Contents/Info CFBundleVersion
  2. 2. If version is >= 6.0.0 and < 6.2.8, plan upgrade to 6.2.8 or later in the 6.2.x series
  3. 3. If version is >= 6.3.0 and < 6.3.3, plan upgrade to 6.3.3 or later in the 6.3.x series
  4. 4. Download the appropriate GlobalProtect client from the Palo Alto Networks support portal or your organization's software distribution point
  5. 5. Install the updated GlobalProtect client with administrator privileges
  6. 6. Verify the installed version matches the target fixed version post-installation
Caveat Standard upgrade considerations apply - review Palo Alto Networks release notes for any changes to functionality or requirements

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

Fix this in Globalprotect Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2025-4232 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