PAN-OS: Administrator secrets are logged in web server logs when using the PAN-OS XML API incorrectly

published 2021-04-20 5y ago modified 2026-06-17 4mo ago also EUVD-2021-26388

cvss: 4.4; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.3%; EPSS 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 17%
public exploits: 0; none known

An information exposure through log file vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software where secrets in PAN-OS XML API requests are logged in cleartext to the web server logs when the API is used incorrectly. This vulnerability applies only to PAN-OS appliances that are configured to use the PAN-OS XML API and exists only when a client includes a duplicate API parameter in API requests. Logged information includes the cleartext username, password, and API key of the administrator making the PAN-OS XML API request.

Patch / fix

fixed in 1

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 8.1.19, 9.0.12, 9.1.6, 10.0.1

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Exploit prediction

0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 17% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	3.1	4.4	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD	2.0	2.1	AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Affected products

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS

Classification

Weakness

CWE-532 Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File

Technology feeds

Palo Alto PAN-OS rss critical rss

References

security.paloaltonetworks.com /CVE-2021-3036
vendor-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2021-3036
NVD CVE-2021-3036

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