CVE-2024-9474 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-78, indicating improper neutralization of special elements used in OS command execution, commonly known as OS command injection. This flaw exists in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software, specifically affecting the Cloud NGFW product line. The vulnerability allows an authenticated PAN-OS administrator who has access to the management web interface to escalate privileges and execute commands on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges. This escalation occurs because the software fails to properly sanitize or neutralize special characters or command elements before passing them to the OS shell, enabling command injection. Notably, Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access products are not impacted by this vulnerability, limiting the scope to certain PAN-OS deployments. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates the attack can be performed remotely over the network without user interaction and with low attack complexity, but requires high privileges (administrator access) initially. The impact on confidentiality is rated as unchanged, but integrity is high due to the ability to execute arbitrary commands as root, potentially allowing full system compromise or further lateral movement. Availability impact is not significant. As of the publication date, no public exploits or active exploitation have been reported. The vulnerability was reserved on 2024-10-03 and published on 2024-11-18. No patches were linked in the provided data, suggesting organizations should monitor Palo Alto Networks advisories for updates. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used firewall product underscores the importance of timely remediation to prevent privilege escalation attacks that could undermine network security controls.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-9474 can be significant, especially for those relying on Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Cloud NGFW firewalls for perimeter and internal network security. An attacker who gains administrative access to the management interface could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges to root, enabling full control over the firewall device. This could lead to unauthorized changes in firewall rules, disabling security controls, interception or redirection of network traffic, and potential pivoting to other internal systems. The integrity of network security policies could be compromised, increasing the risk of data breaches, espionage, or disruption of critical services. Given the firewall's role as a security enforcement point, exploitation could undermine compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits once patches are released. Organizations in sectors with high regulatory requirements or critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of such privilege escalations.

1. Monitor Palo Alto Networks official security advisories and apply patches or updates promptly once released for PAN-OS Cloud NGFW products. 2. Restrict administrative access to the management web interface using network segmentation, VPNs, and IP allowlisting to limit exposure to trusted personnel only. 3. Enforce strong authentication mechanisms for PAN-OS administrators, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) where supported. 4. Regularly audit and monitor administrative activities and command execution logs on PAN-OS devices to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to minimize the number of administrators with full privileges and segregate duties. 6. Consider deploying additional network security layers such as intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect suspicious traffic patterns targeting management interfaces. 7. Conduct security awareness training for administrators to recognize phishing or social engineering attempts that could lead to credential compromise. 8. If possible, isolate management interfaces from general network access and use dedicated management networks. 9. Review firewall configurations regularly to ensure no unauthorized changes have been made. 10. Prepare incident response plans that include scenarios involving firewall compromise and privilege escalation.