CVE-2026-0261: Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS command injection in CLI and Web UI

CVE-2026-0261 · Severity: info · CVSS 6.1 · Published 2026-05-13

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS is the operating system used in firewalls and management appliances to secure corporate networks. A vulnerability exists that allows an administrator who already has login access to bypass security restrictions and take full control of the system as a 'root' user. While this requires existing administrative credentials, an exploit could allow a rogue insider or an attacker who has compromised an admin account to permanently compromise the firewall or disrupt network operations.

Technologies: Siemens Ruggedcom Ape1808. Vendors: Palo Alto Networks, Siemens.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-0261 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-0261 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-0261?
Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 6.1, published 13 May 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Siemens Ruggedcom Ape1808 All versions with Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-0261?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2026-0261 attacked?
It is attacked over the network or with local access, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-0261?
Check whether you run Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW or Siemens Ruggedcom Ape1808 at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

Multiple OS command injection vulnerabilities (CWE-78) exist in the PAN-OS software. An authenticated attacker with administrative privileges can exploit these flaws via the Command Line Interface (CLI) or the Web User Interface (Web UI) to bypass restricted shells or environment limitations. Successful exploitation allows the execution of arbitrary commands with root-level privileges on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability affects PA-Series, VM-Series, and Panorama platforms. Palo Alto Networks has released several maintenance releases (e.g., 12.1.4-h5, 11.2.12, 11.1.15, 10.2.18-h6) to address these issues. Mitigation involves restricting management access to trusted internal IP addresses and limiting the number of users with administrative CLI access.

Affected products

  • Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 12.1 < 12.1.4-h5, 12.1.5 through 12.1.6, 11.2 < 11.2.4-h17, 11.2.5 through 11.2.7-h13, 11.2.8 through 11.2.10-h6, 11.2.11, 11.1 < 11.1.4-h33, 11.1.5 through 11.1.6-h32, 11.1.7 through 11.1.7-h6, 11.1.8 through 11.1.10-h25, 11.1.11 through 11.1.13-h5, 11.1.14, 10.2 < 10.2.7-h34, 10.2.8 through 10.2.10-h36, 10.2.11 through 10.2.13-h21, 10.2.14 through 10.2.16-h7, 10.2.17 through 10.2.18-h6
  • Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808 All versions with Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW

Timeline

  • 2026-05-13: advisory: Initial advisory published by Palo Alto Networks
  • 2026-05-28: other: Advisory updated by Palo Alto Networks
  • 2026-06-09: other: Siemens advisory updated regarding RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices

References

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