CVE-2020-1978 — VM-Series on Microsoft Azure: Inadvertent collection of credentials in Tech support files on HA configured VMs

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MEDIUM

VM-Series on Microsoft Azure: Inadvertent collection of credentials in Tech support files on HA configured VMs

Published Apr 8, 2020

5.8

MEDIUM

CVSS 3.1

EPSS 0.31%

Description

TechSupport files generated on Palo Alto Networks VM Series firewalls for Microsoft Azure platform configured with high availability (HA) inadvertently collect Azure dashboard service account credentials. These credentials are equivalent to the credentials associated with the Contributor role in Azure. A user with the credentials will be able to manage all the Azure resources in the subscription except for granting access to other resources. These credentials do not allow login access to the VMs themselves. This issue affects VM Series Plugin versions before 1.0.9 for PAN-OS 9.0. This issue does not affect VM Series in non-HA configurations or on other cloud platforms. It does not affect hardware firewall appliances. Since becoming aware of the issue, Palo Alto Networks has safely deleted all the tech support files with the credentials. We now filter and remove these credentials from all TechSupport files sent to us. The TechSupport files uploaded to Palo Alto Networks systems were only accessible by authorized personnel with valid Palo Alto Networks credentials. We do not have any evidence of malicious access or use of these credentials.

Affected products

Vendor Palo Alto Networks Product VM-Series Plugin Default
n/a
- Version
  1.0
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  <=1.0.8

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor

Product

Default status

Versions

Palo Alto Networks

VM-Series Plugin

n/a

Version	Status	Constraints
1.0	affected	<=1.0.8

Remediation

Vendor solution

This issue is fixed in VM-Series Plugin 1.0.9 for Microsoft Azure. Customers who generated TechSupport files on older versions are advised to change their Azure dashboard credentials. Customers are advised to delete any previously generated TechSupport files. Instructions to change the credentials:

1. Create a new Service Principal with a Contributor role in the Azure AD Portal. Instructions to create a new Service Principal can be found here - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/howto-create-service-principal-portal

2. Update your Azure HA configuration in the PA-VM configuration with the new Service Principal credentials. The steps to update the configuration are provided in “Step 3” of the PA-VM Azure HA configuration guide - https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/vm-series/9-0/vm-series-deployment/set-up-the-vm-series-firewall-on-azure/configure-activepassive-ha-for-vm-series-firewall-on-azure.html

3. Delete the old Service Principal in the Azure AD Portal that was being used in the Azure HA configuration. Note: If the old Service Principal is used in other applications, then the other applications need to be updated with the new Service Principal.

Metrics

0.31% 0.00307

Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 2, 2026.

EPSS probability 0.00307

Score over time

2021–2026

EPSS v1
EPSS v5
EPSS v2
EPSS v3

Percentile over time

EPSS v1
EPSS v5
EPSS v2
EPSS v3

Table of values (9 key points)

Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.

Date	Score	Percentile	Model
Oct 2, 2026	0.31% (0.00307)	21.30th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Sep 20, 2026	0.31% (0.00307)	23.64th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Jul 20, 2024	0.04% (0.00044)	12.95th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
May 25, 2024	0.04% (0.00044)	12.27th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Mar 7, 2023	0.04% (0.00044)	10.26th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Mar 6, 2023	0.89% (0.00885)	27.89th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Jan 6, 2022	1.84% (0.01840)	47.32th	v1
Jan 5, 2022	0.42% (0.00416)	26.65th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Apr 14, 2021	0.42% (0.00416)	0.00th	v1