CVE-2020-2041 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An insecure configuration of the appweb daemon of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1 allows a remote unauthenticated user to send a specifically crafted request to the device, causing a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.

Understanding CVE-2020-2041

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the management web interface of PAN-OS, impacting specific versions of the software.

What is CVE-2020-2041?

This vulnerability allows an attacker to crash the appweb service by sending a malicious request, leading to a denial of service affecting all PAN-OS services.

The Impact of CVE-2020-2041

CVSS Base Score: 7.5 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Availability Impact: High
No known malicious exploitation

Technical Details of CVE-2020-2041

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The insecure configuration of the appweb daemon in PAN-OS 8.1 enables a remote unauthenticated user to trigger a DoS attack by sending a crafted request.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected: PAN-OS 8.0 and PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.16
Unaffected: PAN-OS 9.0., 9.1., 10.0.*

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to crash the appweb service, disrupting all PAN-OS services.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-2041 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to PAN-OS 8.1.16 or later versions
Follow best practices for securing the PAN-OS management web interface

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update PAN-OS to the latest version
Implement network security measures to prevent unauthorized access

Patching and Updates

The issue is fixed in PAN-OS 8.1.16 and later versions
Note that PAN-OS 7.1 and 8.0 are no longer covered by security policies