# CVE-2020-2022: PAN-OS: Panorama session disclosure during context switch into managed device

> Attackers can steal Panorama admin session tokens during context switches to gain privileged access to the management interface.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Nov 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ph28-25q8-724q

## What is CVE-2020-2022?

CVE-2020-2022 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 12 Nov 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An information exposure vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Panorama software that discloses the token for the Panorama web interface administrator's session to a managed device when the Panorama administrator performs a context switch into that device. This vulnerability allows an attacker to gain privileged access to the Panorama web interface. An attacker requires some knowledge of managed firewalls to exploit this issue. This issue impacts: PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.17; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.11; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.1.5.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-2022?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-2022?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-2022 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-2022 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-2022 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-2020-2022 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-2022 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 12 Nov 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-2022 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-2020-2022/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-2022/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-2022
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2022
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-2022

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-2022/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.