Privilege Escalation in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Broker VM

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-0276 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Broker VM. It allows a locally authenticated user to perform actions with root user privileges, meaning the user can gain full control over the affected system.

This vulnerability affects versions of Cortex XDR Broker VM from 20.0.96 up to, but not including, 31.0.58. No special configuration is required for exposure, and exploitation does not require additional privileges or user interaction.

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Impact Analysis

The vulnerability can impact you by allowing a locally authenticated user to escalate their privileges to root level, potentially enabling them to take full control of the system, modify or delete data, install malicious software, or disrupt system operations.

Although the severity is rated as LOW and the CVSS base score is 1.1, the suggested urgency is MODERATE because root access can lead to significant security risks if exploited.

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Detection Guidance

There is no specific information provided about detection methods or commands to identify this vulnerability on your network or system.

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Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure your Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Broker VM is updated to version 31.0.58 or later, where the issue is fixed.

If automatic upgrades are enabled on your system, no further action is needed.

If automatic upgrades are not enabled, it is recommended to enable them or manually upgrade to the fixed version.

No workarounds are available for this vulnerability.

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Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify how this privilege escalation vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Broker VM impacts compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

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