# CVE-2026-0246: Prisma Access Agent: Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

> A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Prisma Access Agent allows non-admin users to gain root or SYSTEM privileges, enabling arbitrary code execution and sensitive data access.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/AU:N/R:U/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 May 2026
- **Updated:** 13 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mjp7-qvjx-36p7

## What is CVE-2026-0246?

CVE-2026-0246 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent, published on 13 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability with a privilege management mechanism in the Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent® enables a locally authenticated non-administrative user to escalate their privileges to root on macOS and Linux or NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows. This allows the user to execute arbitrary code and read sensitive information otherwise accessible only to privileged accounts.

The Prisma Access Agent on iOS, Android and Chrome OS are not affected.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-0246?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paloaltonetworks Prisma Access Agent.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-0246?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-0246 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-0246 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-0246 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent

- [CVE-2026-0248](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0248/): Prisma Access Agent: Improper Certificate Validation Vulnerability (medium 6.2)
- [CVE-2026-0294](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0294/): Prisma Access Agent: Local Privilege Escalation (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2026-0271](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0271/): Prisma Access Agent: Local Privilege Escalation by Authorized Users (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2026-0247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0247/): Prisma Access Agent Endpoint DLP: Authorization Bypass Vulnerabilities (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2026-0278](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0278/): Prisma Access Agent: Multiple DLP Policy Bypass Vulnerabilities on Windows (medium 5.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-0246 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-0246 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent, published on 13 May 2026. 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-2026-0246 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Agent. 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-2026-0246/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0246/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-0246
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0246
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-0246

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-0246/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.