Cortex XDR Agent: Local Administrator can disable the agent on Windows
Published Apr 13, 2026
4.0
MEDIUMCVSS 4.0
EPSS 0.15%
Description
A problem with a protection mechanism in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR agent on Windows allows a local Windows administrator to disable the agent. This issue may be leveraged by malware to perform malicious activity without detection.
Affected products
-
- Version 7.9-CEStatusaffectedConstraints<7.9-CE-CU-2120
- Version 8.3-CEStatusaffectedConstraints<8.3-CE-CU-2120
- Version 8.7-CEStatusaffectedConstraints<8.7.101-CE
- Version 8.9StatusaffectedConstraints<8.9.1
- Version 9.0StatusaffectedConstraints<9.0.1
- Version
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 | Cortex XDR Agent | unaffected |
|
- ≥ 8.7.0 · < 8.7.101
- 7.9
- 8.3
- 8.9.0
- 9.0.0
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Vendor solution
To fully remediate this vulnerability, customers must ensure their Content Update is at version 2120 or higher. This update provides the necessary protection across all supported versions of Cortex XDR.
While the Content Update provides the primary fix, the following software releases include complementary architectural enhancements to further harden the environment:
* Cortex XDR 9.1.0 (or later) * Cortex XDR 9.0.1 (or later) * Cortex XDR 8.9.1 (or later) * Cortex XDR 8.7.101-CE (or later)
Note for 8.3-CE and 7.9-CE: These versions are fully protected by applying Content Update 2120. No additional software upgrade is required for these versions to mitigate this specific vulnerability.
Metrics
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/AU:Y/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber
1 other source (NVD) ▾
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:Y/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v2.0 score for this CVE.
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
CISA SSVC (Vulnrichment)
Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization from CISA ADP.
Exploitation
NoneAutomatable
NoTechnical Impact
PartialDecision
n/aAssessed Apr 13, 2026 · SSVC 2.0.3
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
Apr–Oct 2026- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (3 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 0.15% (0.00146) | 3.22th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 0.17% (0.00166) | 6.09th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 0.01% (0.00013) | 2.15th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
References (1)
- https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2026-0232 vendor-advisoryVendor Advisory
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2026-0232 | vendor-advisoryVendor Advisory |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.