Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- EPSS is 0.87% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2020
CVE-2020-2033High confidence
GlobalProtect App: Missing certificate validation vulnerability can disclose pre-logon authentication cookie
Palo Alto Networks · GlobalProtect App
5.3MediumCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Patch availableMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Patch available01
What, why and how
When the pre-logon feature is enabled, a missing certification validation in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app can disclose the pre-logon authentication cookie to a man-in-the-middle attacker on the same local area network segment with the ability to manipulate ARP or to conduct ARP spoofing attacks. This allows the attacker to access the GlobalProtect Server as allowed by configured Security rules for the 'pre-login' user. This access may be limited compared to the network access of regular users. This issue affects: GlobalProtect app 5.0 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.0.10 when the prelogon feature is enabled; GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.4 when the prelogon feature is enabled.
What
When the pre-logon feature is enabled, a missing certification validation in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app can disclose the pre-logon authentication cookie to a man-in-the-middle attacker on the same local area network segment with the ability to manipulate ARP or to conduct ARP spoofing attacks. This allows the attacker to access the GlobalProtect Server as allowed by configured Security rules for the 'pre-login' user. This access may be limited compared to the network access of regular users. This issue affects: GlobalProtect app 5.0 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.0.10 when the prelogon feature is enabled; GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.4 when the prelogon feature is enabled.
Why
This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
How
An attacker operating through an adjacent network may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
When the pre-logon feature is enabled, a missing certification validation in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app can disclose the pre-logon authentication cookie to a man-in-the-middle attacker on the same local area network segment with the ability to manipulate ARP or to conduct ARP spoofing attacks. This allows the attacker to access the GlobalProtect Server as allowed by configured Security rules for the 'pre-login' user. This access may be limited compared to the network access of regular users. This issue affects: GlobalProtect app 5.0 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.0.10 when the prelogon feature is enabled; GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.4 when the prelogon feature is enabled.
Why
This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
How
An attacker operating through an adjacent network may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- an adjacent network → Authentication Bypass by Spoofing → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Adjacent
- Privileges required
- None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-290 ↗
CWE-290: Authentication Bypass by Spoofing. This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVAdjacentAttack vector: The attacker must be on an adjacent or logically close network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 10 Jun 2020 · Last source change 17 Sept 2024, 03:22 UTC · CWE-290 · Authentication Bypass by Spoofing
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-22059
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.