{"schemaVersion":3,"id":"CVE-2020-2049","aliases":[],"status":"published","duplicateOf":null,"title":null,"description":"A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Agent on the Windows platform that allows 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. This issue impacts: All versions of Cortex XDR Agent 7.1 with content update 149 and earlier versions; All versions of Cortex XDR Agent 7.2 with content update 149 and earlier versions.","dates":{"published":"2020-12-09T18:00:14.602Z","modified":"2024-09-17T02:53:03.084Z","reserved":null,"kevAdded":[],"kevDue":[]},"cvss":{"headline":{"score":7.8,"severity":"high","version":"3.1","versionLabel":"v3.1","source":"CVE.org","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","computed":false,"selection":"backend-summary"},"metrics":[{"version":"3.1","versionLabel":"v3.1","source":"CVE.org","score":7.8,"severity":"high","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","exploitability":null,"impact":null,"computed":false},{"version":"3.1","versionLabel":"v3.1","source":"NVD","score":7.8,"severity":"high","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","exploitability":null,"impact":null,"computed":false},{"version":"2.0","versionLabel":"v2.0","source":"NVD","score":7.2,"severity":"high","vector":"AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C","exploitability":null,"impact":null,"computed":false}]},"epss":{"probability":0.00345,"percentile":0.26809,"severity":"low","asOf":"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z","change":{"pp":0,"baselineDate":"2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z","baselineScore":0.00345},"history":[{"date":"2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-15T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-19T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-20T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-27T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-29T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-03T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-10T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-12T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-13T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-14T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-15T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-18T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-20T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":0.26809}],"last30":[{"date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-27T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-29T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-03T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-10T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-12T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-13T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-14T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-15T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-18T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-20T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":null},{"date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z","score":0.00345,"percentile":0.26809}]},"kev":{"state":"not-listed","entries":[],"listedCount":0,"totalCatalogs":3,"catalogs":[{"source":"cisa","label":"CISA","listed":false,"entry":null},{"source":"enisa","label":"ENISA","listed":false,"entry":null},{"source":"circl","label":"CIRCL","listed":false,"entry":null}]},"ransomware":{"state":"none-recorded","sources":[]},"exploits":[],"exploitCount":0,"weaknesses":[{"id":"CWE-427","name":"Uncontrolled Search Path Element","description":"The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.","type":"weakness","status":"Draft","abstraction":"Base","likelihoodOfExploit":null,"url":"https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/427.html"}],"affected":[{"vendor":"palo alto networks","product":"cortex xdr agent","name":"Cortex XDR Agent","label":"cortex xdr agent","ecosystem":null,"cpePart":"a","purl":null,"purlType":null,"versions":[{"text":"7.1.* without content update 150","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"7.2.* without content update 150","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null}],"versionsText":"7.1.* without content update 150 | 7.2.* without content update 150","eol":null,"hubHref":"/vendor/palo_alto_networks/cortex_xdr_agent"},{"vendor":"paloaltonetworks","product":"cortex_xdr_agent","name":"cortex xdr agent","label":"cortex_xdr_agent","ecosystem":null,"cpePart":"a","purl":null,"purlType":null,"versions":[{"text":"≥ 7.1.1, ≤ 7.1.3","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"≥ 7.2.1, ≤ 7.2.2","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"7.1","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"7.1:content_update149","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"7.2","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null},{"text":"7.2:content_update149","noFixRecorded":false,"fixedIn":null}],"versionsText":"≥ 7.1.1, ≤ 7.1.3 | ≥ 7.2.1, ≤ 7.2.2 | 7.1 | 7.1:content_update149 | 7.2 | 7.2:content_update149","eol":null,"hubHref":"/vendor/paloaltonetworks/cortex_xdr_agent"}],"affectedCount":2,"eol":{"hasEol":false,"count":0},"references":[{"url":"https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2020-2049","label":"security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2020-2049","hostname":"security.paloaltonetworks.com","tags":["X Refsource MISC","Vendor Advisory"]}],"lineage":{"upstream":[],"downstream":[],"duplicates":[],"related":[]},"timeline":[{"kind":"published","date":"2020-12-09T18:00:14.602Z","label":"Published","detail":"Vulnerability first disclosed.","source":null},{"kind":"modified","date":"2024-09-17T02:53:03.084Z","label":"Last modified","detail":"Vulnerability information updated.","source":null}],"risk":{"score":31,"level":"medium","profile":"Default","thresholds":{"critical":75,"high":50,"medium":25,"low":10}},"meta":{"dataAsOf":"2026-10-21T23:45:42.630Z","stale":false,"partial":false}}