CVE-2021-3042 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A local privilege escalation (PE) vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms. This vulnerability allows an authenticated local Windows user to run programs with SYSTEM privileges. Exploiting this issue requires file creation privilege in the Windows root directory. It impacts various versions of Cortex XDR agents, except version 5.0. Content updates are necessary to address this vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2021-3042

This section delves into the details of CVE-2021-3042, highlighting the vulnerability's impact and affected systems.

What is CVE-2021-3042?

The CVE-2021-3042 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms. It enables authenticated local Windows users to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2021-3042

The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. An attacker could gain elevated privileges and perform malicious activities on the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-3042

This section outlines the technical specifics related to CVE-2021-3042, including vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows authenticated local Windows users to escalate their privileges and execute programs with SYSTEM-level access by creating files in the Windows root directory.

Affected Systems and Versions

All versions of Cortex XDR agent 6.1 without content update 181 or later, 7.2 without content update 181 or later, and 7.3 without content update 181 or later are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated local Windows user must have file creation privileges in the Windows root directory (e.g., C:).

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss the steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2021-3042 vulnerability, including immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Mitigate the issue by preventing local authenticated Windows users from creating files in the Windows root directory.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the Cortex XDR agent to versions 6.1, 7.2, 7.3, or later with content update 181 or above to safeguard against this vulnerability.

Patching and Updates

Content updates are essential to resolving this vulnerability. Ensure that the agent receives automatic updates to address the security issue.