CVE-2020-2013 : Security Advisory and Response

A cleartext transmission vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Panorama exposes an authenticated administrator's session cookie, allowing unauthorized access to managed devices.

Understanding CVE-2020-2013

This CVE discloses a security flaw in PAN-OS Panorama that can lead to unauthorized access and manipulation of managed devices.

What is CVE-2020-2013?

This vulnerability involves the cleartext transmission of an administrator's session cookie, potentially compromising sensitive information and allowing attackers to manipulate managed devices.

The Impact of CVE-2020-2013

CVSS Score: 8.3 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability Impact: High
Scope: Changed
User Interaction: Required

Technical Details of CVE-2020-2013

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in PAN-OS Panorama allows interception of an administrator's session cookie during a context switch, enabling unauthorized access to the administrator's account.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected PAN-OS versions: 7.1 < 7.1.26, 8.1 < 8.1.13, 9.0 < 9.0.6, 9.1 < 9.1.1, all versions of 8.0

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability occurs when an administrator's session cookie is transmitted in cleartext between Panorama and managed firewalls, allowing interception and unauthorized access.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems and data from CVE-2020-2013 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Shorten administrator session idle timeout to reduce the validity of exposed session cookies.

Long-Term Security Practices

Follow best practices for securing the PAN-OS management interface.

Patching and Updates

Update to fixed versions: PAN-OS 7.1.26, 8.1.13, 9.0.6, 9.1.1, or later versions.
Note: PAN-OS 8.0 is end-of-life and no longer covered by security policies.