Threats / Palo Alto Networks / CVE-2019-1579
CVE-2019-1579
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-08-04
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS vulnerability
Remote code execution in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS when GlobalProtect Portal or GlobalProtect Gateway is enabled, exploitable without authentication via use-after-free or format string vulnerability.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
Critical remote code execution affecting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS deployments with GlobalProtect services exposed. High exploitation activity observed in ransomware campaigns. Immediate patching required for internet-facing instances.
CISA KEV Yes · 2022-01-104Ransomware use Flagged4EPSS 0.45961 (verify live)5Exploit Weaponized · public PoC6CVSS 8.1 (CISA)3CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Impact: total3
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
11 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-01-10), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.45961 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 8.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) · Affected: Palo Alto Networks, PAN-OS. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CISA-assigned via the ADP container (CVE.org), version 3.1; the CNA left no metrics, so CISA's own score is used ahead of NVD.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-134 Format String.CWE assignment from the public NVD record (may be stale); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 906 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
WeaknessCWE-134 · Format String
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious request to the GlobalProtect Portal or Gateway interface on an exposed PAN-OS device.
Business
Attacker gains unauthenticated remote code execution on the security appliance, bypassing perimeter defenses.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the PAN-OS process to establish persistence and lateral movement.
Business
The compromised firewall becomes an internal pivot point for ransomware deployment across the network.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I exfiltrate configuration data, credentials, and network topology from the appliance.
Business
Sensitive security configurations and authentication material are exposed, enabling further compromise of protected systems.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05