# CVE-2021-3057: GlobalProtect App: Buffer Overflow Vulnerability When Connecting to Portal or Gateway

> A man-in-the-middle attacker can trigger a stack-based buffer overflow in the GlobalProtect app to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.

- **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:** 13 Oct 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h626-v3v8-8r8x

## What is CVE-2021-3057?

CVE-2021-3057 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 13 Oct 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app that enables a man-in-the-middle attacker to disrupt system processes and potentially execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. This issue impacts: GlobalProtect app 5.1 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.1.9 on Windows; GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.8 on Windows; GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.8 on the Universal Windows Platform; GlobalProtect app 5.3 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.3.1 on Linux.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3057?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Globalprotect.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-3057?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-3057 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-3057 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3057 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App

- [CVE-2025-4232](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-4232/): GlobalProtect: Authenticated Code Injection Through Wildcard on macOS (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2023-0009](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0009/): GlobalProtect App: Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-0016](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0016/): GlobalProtect App: Privilege Escalation Vulnerability When Using Connect Before Logon (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2025-0120](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0120/): GlobalProtect App: Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2019-17436](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-17436/): Privilege escalation in GlobalProtect Agent for Linux and OSX (high 7.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3057 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-3057 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 13 Oct 2021. 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-2021-3057 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App. 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-2021-3057/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3057/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3057
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3057
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3057

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3057/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.