# CVE-2020-1998: PAN-OS: Improper SAML SSO authorization of shared local users

> Attackers can bypass SAML SSO authorization to gain unintended resource access by exploiting improper local user permission handling in PAN-OS.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 May 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mhxp-v7wq-3qqc

## What is CVE-2020-1998?

CVE-2020-1998 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 13 May 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper authorization vulnerability in PAN-OS that mistakenly uses the permissions of local linux users instead of the intended SAML permissions of the account when the username is shared for the purposes of SSO authentication. This can result in authentication bypass and unintended resource access for the user. This issue affects: PAN-OS 7.1 versions earlier than 7.1.26; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.13; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than 9.0.6; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than 9.1.1; All versions of PAN-OS 8.0.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), CWE-285 (Improper Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-1998?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-1998?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-1998 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-1998 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1998 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-2020-1998 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-1998 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 13 May 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1998 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-2020-1998/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1998/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-1998
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1998
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1998

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1998/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.