CVE-2025-4614: CWE-497 Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere in Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW
An information disclosure vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enables an authenticated administrator to view session tokens of users authenticated to the firewall web UI. This may allow impersonation of users whose session tokens are leaked. The security risk posed by this issue is significantly minimized when CLI access is restricted to a limited group of administrators. Cloud NGFW and Prisma® Access are not affected by this vulnerability.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2025-4614 is an information disclosure vulnerability classified under CWE-497, which involves the exposure of sensitive system information to an unauthorized control sphere. Specifically, in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software for the Cloud NGFW product, an authenticated administrator can access session tokens belonging to other users who are authenticated to the firewall's web UI. Session tokens are critical for maintaining authenticated sessions; if an attacker obtains these tokens, they can impersonate legitimate users without needing their credentials. This vulnerability does not affect the Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access services, limiting its scope to on-premises or managed Cloud NGFW deployments running vulnerable PAN-OS versions. The vulnerability requires administrator-level privileges, which means an attacker must already have elevated access to exploit it. The CVSS v4.0 score of 4.8 reflects a medium severity, considering the network attack vector, low complexity, no need for authentication beyond administrator privileges, and limited confidentiality impact. The vulnerability does not impact integrity or availability and requires some user interaction. Restricting CLI access to a limited group of administrators significantly reduces the risk of exploitation. No patches or exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed as of October 2025.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact is the potential for session token theft leading to unauthorized impersonation of firewall web UI users. This could allow attackers with administrator access to escalate privileges or perform unauthorized configuration changes, potentially compromising network security. While the vulnerability does not directly affect availability or integrity, unauthorized access to firewall management interfaces can lead to broader security breaches. Organizations with large deployments of Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW appliances, especially those with multiple administrators, face increased risk if access controls are lax. The impact is mitigated if CLI and administrative access are tightly controlled. Given the medium severity and the requirement for administrator privileges, the threat is more relevant to insider threats or attackers who have already compromised administrative credentials. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for vigilance.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should implement strict access control policies limiting administrator and CLI access to a minimal number of trusted personnel. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regularly audit administrator sessions and monitor for unusual access patterns or session token anomalies. Employ session timeout and token invalidation policies to limit the window of opportunity for token reuse. Ensure PAN-OS software is updated to the latest version once a patch becomes available. Network segmentation should be used to isolate management interfaces from general user networks. Additionally, consider deploying privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control administrator activities. Conduct security awareness training emphasizing the risks of session token exposure and the importance of safeguarding administrative credentials.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden
CVE-2025-4614: CWE-497 Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere in Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW
Description
An information disclosure vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enables an authenticated administrator to view session tokens of users authenticated to the firewall web UI. This may allow impersonation of users whose session tokens are leaked. The security risk posed by this issue is significantly minimized when CLI access is restricted to a limited group of administrators. Cloud NGFW and Prisma® Access are not affected by this vulnerability.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-4614 is an information disclosure vulnerability classified under CWE-497, which involves the exposure of sensitive system information to an unauthorized control sphere. Specifically, in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software for the Cloud NGFW product, an authenticated administrator can access session tokens belonging to other users who are authenticated to the firewall's web UI. Session tokens are critical for maintaining authenticated sessions; if an attacker obtains these tokens, they can impersonate legitimate users without needing their credentials. This vulnerability does not affect the Cloud NGFW and Prisma Access services, limiting its scope to on-premises or managed Cloud NGFW deployments running vulnerable PAN-OS versions. The vulnerability requires administrator-level privileges, which means an attacker must already have elevated access to exploit it. The CVSS v4.0 score of 4.8 reflects a medium severity, considering the network attack vector, low complexity, no need for authentication beyond administrator privileges, and limited confidentiality impact. The vulnerability does not impact integrity or availability and requires some user interaction. Restricting CLI access to a limited group of administrators significantly reduces the risk of exploitation. No patches or exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed as of October 2025.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact is the potential for session token theft leading to unauthorized impersonation of firewall web UI users. This could allow attackers with administrator access to escalate privileges or perform unauthorized configuration changes, potentially compromising network security. While the vulnerability does not directly affect availability or integrity, unauthorized access to firewall management interfaces can lead to broader security breaches. Organizations with large deployments of Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW appliances, especially those with multiple administrators, face increased risk if access controls are lax. The impact is mitigated if CLI and administrative access are tightly controlled. Given the medium severity and the requirement for administrator privileges, the threat is more relevant to insider threats or attackers who have already compromised administrative credentials. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for vigilance.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should implement strict access control policies limiting administrator and CLI access to a minimal number of trusted personnel. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regularly audit administrator sessions and monitor for unusual access patterns or session token anomalies. Employ session timeout and token invalidation policies to limit the window of opportunity for token reuse. Ensure PAN-OS software is updated to the latest version once a patch becomes available. Network segmentation should be used to isolate management interfaces from general user networks. Additionally, consider deploying privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control administrator activities. Conduct security awareness training emphasizing the risks of session token exposure and the importance of safeguarding administrative credentials.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- palo_alto
- Date Reserved
- 2025-05-12T22:05:10.775Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 68e80105ba0e608b4fa9e3e7
Added to database: 10/9/2025, 6:37:57 PM
Last enriched: 10/9/2025, 6:52:50 PM
Last updated: 10/10/2025, 10:32:00 AM
Views: 26
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