How severe is CVE-2021-3054?

CVE-2021-3054 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-3054 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-3054?

CVE-2021-3054 affects Paloaltonetworks Pan-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3054?

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-2021-3054 published?

CVE-2021-3054 was published on 2021-09-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-3054

CVE-2021-3054 is a high-severity vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Pan-os with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2. 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-367.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.2)
CVSS v2: 8.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (56th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-367
Affected product: Paloaltonetworks Pan-os
Published: 2021-09-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS web interface enables an authenticated administrator with permission to upload plugins to execute arbitrary code with root user privileges. This issue impacts: PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.20; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.14; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.1.11; PAN-OS 10.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 10.0.7; PAN-OS 10.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 10.1.2. This issue does not affect Prisma Access.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3054?: A time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS web interface enables an authenticated administrator with permission to upload plugins to execute arbitrary code with root user privileges. This issue impacts: PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.20; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.14; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.1.11; PAN-OS 10.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 10.0.7; PAN-OS 10.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 10.1.2. This issue does not affect Prisma Access.
How severe is CVE-2021-3054?: CVE-2021-3054 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-3054 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-3054?: CVE-2021-3054 affects Paloaltonetworks Pan-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-3054?: 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-2021-3054 published?: CVE-2021-3054 was published on 2021-09-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2021-3054

Affected products (1)

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

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