CVE-2021-3041
Cortex XDR Agent: Improper control of user-controlled file leads to local privilege escalation
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- palo_alto
Description
A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows platforms that enables an authenticated local Windows user to execute programs with SYSTEM privileges. This requires the user to have the privilege to create files in the Windows root directory or to manipulate key registry values. This issue impacts: Cortex XDR agent 5.0 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 5.0.11; Cortex XDR agent 6.1 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 6.1.8; Cortex XDR agent 7.2 versions earlier than Cortex XDR agent 7.2.3; All versions of Cortex XDR agent 7.2 without content update release 171 or a later version.
Timeline
ID reserved
By palo_alto
- 5 months later
· 5 months later
Published
- 3 years later
· 3 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| palo_altoCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.25% · top 84% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Weakness
Affected products
Palo Alto Networks · Cortex XDR Agent
- affected 5.0 – < 5.0.11
- affected 6.1 – < 6.1.8
- affected 7.2 – < 7.2.3 or without content update 171 or later
What to do
Solution: This issue is fixed in Cortex XDR agent 5.0.11, Cortex XDR agent 6.1.8, Cortex XDR agent 7.2.3, and all later Cortex XDR agent versions. Content updates are required to resolve this issue and are automatically applied for the agent.
Workaround: This issue is mitigated by preventing local authenticated Windows users from creating files in the Windows root directory (such as C:\) and ensuring they are unable to manipulate the Windows registry.
Exploitation: Palo Alto Networks is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this issue.
References (1)
- https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2021-3041 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2021-3041)Record last updated .