# CVE-2024-5921: GlobalProtect App: Insufficient Certificate Validation Leads to Privilege Escalation

> Attackers can bypass certificate validation to install malicious root certificates and signed software, leading to privilege escalation on endpoints.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 20 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ccr5-hmvm-37q5

## What is CVE-2024-5921?

CVE-2024-5921 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 27 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An insufficient certification validation issue in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app enables attackers to connect the GlobalProtect app to arbitrary servers. This can enable a local non-administrative operating system user or an attacker on the same subnet to install malicious root certificates on the endpoint and subsequently install malicious software signed by the malicious root certificates on that endpoint.

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Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-5921?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Globalprotect.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-5921?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-5921 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-5921 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-5921 exists.

## 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-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)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-5921 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-5921 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App, published on 27 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-5921 exists.

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-2024-5921/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5921/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-5921
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-5921
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-5921

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5921/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.