# CVE-2020-1981: PAN-OS: Predictable temporary filename vulnerability allows local privilege escalation

> A local attacker can exploit predictable temporary filenames to bypass restricted shells and gain root access on PAN-OS devices.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7m66-gpgj-f3cr

## What is CVE-2020-1981?

CVE-2020-1981 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 11 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A predictable temporary filename vulnerability in PAN-OS allows local privilege escalation. This issue allows a local attacker who bypassed the restricted shell to execute commands as a low privileged user and gain root access on the PAN-OS hardware or virtual appliance. This issue affects only PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.13. This issue does not affect PAN-OS 7.1, PAN-OS 9.0, or later PAN-OS versions.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere), CWE-377 (DEPRECATED: Insecure Temporary File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-1981?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-1981?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-1981 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-1981 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os

- [CVE-2024-3400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3400/): Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Command Injection (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-2021](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-2021/): Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Authentication Bypass (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-15944](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15944/): Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-0300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0300/): Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-0012](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0012/): Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Management Interface Authentication Bypass (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-1981 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-1981 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 11 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1981/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1981/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-1981
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1981
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1981

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1981/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.