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CVE-2025-0117 GlobalProtect App: Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability

Description

A reliance on untrusted input for a security decision in the GlobalProtect app on Windows devices potentially enables a locally authenticated non-administrative Windows user to escalate their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

GlobalProtect App on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and GlobalProtect UWP App are not affected.

Product Status

Required Configuration for Exposure

No special configuration is required to be vulnerable to this issue.

Severity:MEDIUM, Suggested Urgency:MODERATE

A local Windows user (or malware) with non-administrative rights elevates their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
CVSS-BT:4.3 /CVSS-B:7.1 (CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:U/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber)

Exploitation Status

Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this issue.

Weakness Type and Impact

CWE-807 Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision

CAPEC-233 Privilege Escalation

Solution

Solution for new and existing GlobalProtect app installation on Windows

You can use your endpoint mobile device management (MDM) tools to apply the following changes:

Install a fixed version of the GlobalProtect app.
Update the following registry key with the specified value (uses the REG_SZ type):
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Palo Alto Networks\GlobalProtect\Settings]
"check-communication"="yes"Restart the operating system to apply this registry change.

Alternate solution for new GlobalProtect app installation on Windows

Install the GlobalProtect app with the pre-deployment key CHECKCOMM set to "yes":

msiexec.exe /i GlobalProtect64.msi CHECKCOMM="yes"

Note: This command adds the registry value from the previous solution instructions—no additional MSI options are needed.

Workarounds and Mitigations

No workaround or mitigation is available.

Acknowledgments

CPEs

Timeline