# CVE-2020-1992: PAN-OS on PA-7000 Series: Varrcvr daemon network-based denial of service or privilege escalation

> Remote attackers can crash the Varrcvr daemon or execute code with root privileges on PA-7000 firewalls with Log Forwarding Cards.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rpm3-9x65-q856

## What is CVE-2020-1992?

CVE-2020-1992 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 8 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A format string vulnerability in the Varrcvr daemon of PAN-OS on PA-7000 Series devices with a Log Forwarding Card (LFC) allows remote attackers to crash the daemon creating a denial of service condition or potentially execute code with root privileges. This issue affects Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 9.0 versions before 9.0.7; PAN-OS 9.1 versions before 9.1.2 on PA-7000 Series devices with an LFC installed and configured. This issue requires WildFire services to be configured and enabled. This issue does not affect PAN-OS 8.1 and earlier releases. This issue does not affect any other PA Series firewalls.

Weakness: CWE-134 (Use of Externally-Controlled Format String)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-1992?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-1992?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-1992 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-1992 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1992 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-2020-1992 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-1992 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 8 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1992 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-2020-1992/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1992/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-1992
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1992
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1992

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1992/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.