How severe is CVE-2020-2016?

CVE-2020-2016 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-2016 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-2016?

CVE-2020-2016 affects Paloaltonetworks Pan-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-2016?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-2016 published?

CVE-2020-2016 was published on 2020-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-2016

CVE-2020-2016 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-os with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-362.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.0)
CVSS v2: 8.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (43rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Paloaltonetworks Pan-os
Published: 2020-05-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A race condition due to insecure creation of a file in a temporary directory vulnerability in PAN-OS allows for root privilege escalation from a limited linux user account. This allows an attacker who has escaped the restricted shell as a low privilege administrator, possibly by exploiting another vulnerability, to escalate privileges to become root user. This issue affects: PAN-OS 7.1 versions earlier than 7.1.26; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.13; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than 9.0.6; All versions of PAN-OS 8.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-2016?: A race condition due to insecure creation of a file in a temporary directory vulnerability in PAN-OS allows for root privilege escalation from a limited linux user account. This allows an attacker who has escaped the restricted shell as a low privilege administrator, possibly by exploiting another vulnerability, to escalate privileges to become root user. This issue affects: PAN-OS 7.1 versions earlier than 7.1.26; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.13; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than 9.0.6; All versions of PAN-OS 8.0.
How severe is CVE-2020-2016?: CVE-2020-2016 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-2016 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-2016?: CVE-2020-2016 affects Paloaltonetworks Pan-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-2016?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-2016 published?: CVE-2020-2016 was published on 2020-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2020-2016

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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