Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in Palo Alto Networks Autonomous Digital Experience Manager (ADEM) for Windows, a tool used to monitor and optimize network performance for end-users. An attacker on the same local network could exploit a flaw in how the software verifies security certificates to take full control of the affected computer. This could lead to the theft of sensitive data, installation of malicious software, or complete disruption of the device's operations.
Technical details
A certificate validation vulnerability (CWE-295) exists in Palo Alto Networks Autonomous Digital Experience Manager (ADEM) for Windows versions 5.10.0 through 5.10.13. The root cause is improper validation of the ADEM certificate, which can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker with adjacent network access (e.g., on the same local network or subnet). By spoofing a trusted entity or intercepting communications, an attacker can achieve remote code execution with NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM privileges. The vulnerability is addressed in version 5.10.14.
Affected products
- Palo Alto Networks Autonomous Digital Experience Manager (ADEM) 5.10.0 to 5.10.13 on Windows
Timeline
- 2026-04-08: disclosed: Initial publication by Palo Alto Networks
- 2026-04-08: patched: Version 5.10.14 released to address the issue
- 2026-04-13: advisory: NVD publication date