# CVE-2024-8688: PAN-OS: Arbitrary File Read Vulnerability in the Command Line Interface (CLI)

> Authenticated administrators can read arbitrary files on the firewall via the CLI due to improper neutralization of matching symbols.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/AU:N/R:U/V:C/RE:M/U:Amber`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5f55-v7c2-39w2

## What is CVE-2024-8688?

CVE-2024-8688 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 11 Sep 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper neutralization of matching symbols vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS command line interface (CLI) enables authenticated administrators (including read-only administrators) with access to the CLI to to read arbitrary files on the firewall.

Weakness: CWE-155 (Improper Neutralization of Wildcards or Matching Symbols)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-8688?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-8688?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-8688 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-8688 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-8688 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-2024-8688 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-8688 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-Os, published on 11 Sep 2024. 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-2024-8688 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-2024-8688/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8688/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-8688
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-8688
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-8688

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8688/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.