# CVE-2022-0016: GlobalProtect App: Privilege Escalation Vulnerability When Using Connect Before Logon

> A local attacker can escalate to SYSTEM or root privileges via the Connect Before Logon feature in the GlobalProtect app.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Feb 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mrwh-mjvv-r5vh

## What is CVE-2022-0016?

CVE-2022-0016 is a high-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 10 Feb 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper handling of exceptional conditions vulnerability exists within the Connect Before Logon feature of the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app that enables a local attacker to escalate to SYSTEM or root privileges when authenticating with Connect Before Logon under certain circumstances. This issue impacts GlobalProtect app 5.2 versions earlier than GlobalProtect app 5.2.9 on Windows and MacOS. This issue does not affect the GlobalProtect app on other platforms.

Weakness: CWE-755 (Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions), CWE-703 (Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-0016?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Globalprotect.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-0016?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-0016 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-0016 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-0016 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-2021-3057](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3057/): GlobalProtect App: Buffer Overflow Vulnerability When Connecting to Portal or Gateway (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2023-0009](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0009/): GlobalProtect App: Local Privilege Escalation (PE) Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [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-2022-0016 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-0016 is a high-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 10 Feb 2022. 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-2022-0016 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-2022-0016/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0016/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-0016
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0016
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-0016

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0016/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.