CVE-2026-0313

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-0313 is a command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR and Cortex XSIAM OS Query content pack that allows an authenticated administrator to execute arbitrary operating system commands on remote endpoints. Because the flaw affects a security orchestration and endpoint-querying component, successful exploitation grants high-privilege remote code execution with potential lateral movement across every managed endpoint. Organizations running the affected OS Query content pack with network-exposed Cortex management interfaces and multiple administrator accounts should treat this as a critical supply-chain-adjacent risk to their security operations platform.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the OS Query content pack shipped with Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR and Cortex XSIAM. Content packs are collections of integrations, scripts, playbooks, and commands that extend the platform's automation capability; the OS Query pack enables administrators to query operating-system-level state on remote endpoints through connected endpoint agents. The root cause is classified as CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ("OS Command Injection").

The attack surface is the administrative interface of the Cortex platform combined with the remote-endpoint execution path exposed by the OS Query pack. An actor who already holds authenticated administrator privileges can supply command input that is passed to the underlying operating system without adequate sanitization, causing arbitrary OS commands to run in the security context of the Cortex service/agent on the remote endpoint. The scope of execution extends beyond the Cortex server itself and reaches the managed endpoints that the pack communicates with — this is why the impact is rated as scope-changing in the inferred vector.

Because no CNA title, affected version list, or detailed advisory text accompanies the CVE record at this time, specific vulnerable parameters, script names, or integration files cannot be enumerated. The defining technical fact is that an authenticated administrator is the required actor, and the achieved effect is arbitrary OS command execution on remote endpoints. No public proof-of-concept, Nuclei template, or exploit code is currently known, meaning exploitation requires either a privileged insider or an attacker who has already compromised an administrator account through credential theft or session hijacking. This elevates the vulnerability from a purely remote attack to a post-compromise privilege-amplification and lateral-movement primitive.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public PoC is available; the attack chain below is inferred from the vulnerability class (authenticated OS command injection) and the NVD description.

1. Reconnaissance and target identification: The attacker identifies an exposed Cortex XSOAR or XSIAM management console, typically via a login page reachable over the network. The attacker confirms the platform is in use and that the OS Query content pack is installed and reachable through playbooks or the command interface.

2. Precondition — administrative access: The vulnerability requires an authenticated administrator. The attacker obtains this via stolen credentials (phishing, credential reuse, infostealer malware), session token theft, or malicious insider access. Without administrative rights, the flaw cannot be triggered.

3. Triggering the command injection: Through the OS Query content pack's administrator-facing operability, the attacker submits input that is incorporated into an OS-level command without neutralization. Because the flaw is CWE-78 as stated in the CVE record, the attacker's input is interpreted by the shell on the remote endpoint rather than treated as inert data.

4. Payload/execution at the vulnerability-class level: The attacker appends or injects shell metacharacters and command sequences such that the remote endpoint executes attacker-chosen operating system commands in the context of the querying service. The result is arbitrary OS command execution on the remote endpoint — not merely on the Cortex management server.

5. Post-exploitation impact: Once arbitrary command execution is achieved on managed endpoints, the attacker can enumerate host state, harvest credentials, establish persistence, move laterally to adjacent systems, and disable or tamper with security controls. Because Cortex is a security operations hub, compromising it and its managed endpoints undermines the organization's own detection and response capability.

Impact Assessment

The vulnerability yields high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and — per the inferred vector — changes scope, meaning the attacker's actions can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component itself (the managed remote endpoints). The required privilege level is High (administrator), reflecting the authenticated-administrator precondition, and no user interaction is required.

Business impact is severe for organizations using Cortex XSOAR/XSIAM as their security orchestration backbone. Compromise of the platform itself allows an adversary to observe and manipulate security workflows, suppress alerts, exfiltrate data from any connected endpoint, and pivot deeper into the environment. The blast radius is every endpoint reachable by the OS Query pack — potentially the entire managed fleet. Because the affected component is a security product, defenders face the added risk that their primary tooling has been turned against them. The EPSS score of 0.00833 (56.8th percentile) indicates a currently low but non-trivial predicted exploitation probability, consistent with the absence of public exploit code and the high privilege precondition.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Cortex XSOAR/XSIAM OS Query Command Injection Attempt
id: 7b3e2c11-9a4d-4f21-9c8e-cve20260313
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious OS command metacharacters submitted via Cortex OS Query content pack administrative interface
references:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0313
author: valtersit.com
logsource:
  product: paloalto
  service: cortex
detection:
  selection_metachars:
    query|contains:
      - ';'
      - '|'
      - '&&'
      - '$( '
      - '` '
      - '>/'
  selection_admin_action:
    event_type|contains:
      - 'OSQuery'
      - 'execute'
      - 'command'
  condition: selection_metachars and selection_admin_action
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative scripted queries containing pipes or redirection
level: high

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_0313_Cortex_OSQuery_CmdInjection
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects command injection indicators targeting Cortex XSOAR/XSIAM OS Query content pack"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0313"
        author = "valtersit.com"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        severity = "high"

    strings:
        $cortex1 = "OS Query" ascii nocase
        $cortex2 = "xsoar" ascii nocase
        $cortex3 = "xsiam" ascii nocase
        $inj1 = "$(" ascii
        $inj2 = "`" ascii
        $inj3 = "&&" ascii
        $inj4 = "||" ascii
        $susp1 = "curl " ascii nocase
        $susp2 = "wget " ascii nocase
        $susp3 = "/bin/sh" ascii nocase
        $susp4 = "/bin/bash" ascii nocase

    condition:
        (any of ($cortex*)) and (2 of ($inj*)) or
        (any of ($cortex*)) and (any of ($susp*))
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-0313 Cortex OS Query Command Injection Attempt"; flow:established,to_server; content:"OS Query"; http_client_body; nocase; content:"|3b|"; http_client_body; within:200; content:"|7c|"; http_client_body; within:200; reference:cve,2026-0313; reference:url,nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0313; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:20260313; rev:1;)

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-0313 Cortex XSOAR/XSIAM Suspicious Admin Command Parameter"; flow:established,to_server; content:"xsoar"; http_uri; nocase; content:"cortex"; http_uri; nocase; pcre:"/(%24%28|\x60|\x26\x26).*(curl|wget|bash|sh)/Ui"; reference:cve,2026-0313; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:20260314; rev:1;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by user.name, host.name with maxspan=60s
  [process where event.type == "start" and process.parent.name : ("java", "python", "node") and
   process.name : ("sh", "bash", "cmd.exe", "powershell.exe")]
  [process where event.type == "start" and
   process.args : ("*curl*", "*wget*", "*base64*", "*nc*", "*ncat*") and
   process.parent.name : ("java", "python", "node")]

Splunk SPL Query

index=cortex OR index=xsoar OR index=xsiam sourcetype=*cortex* OR sourcetype=*panic*
| search (event_type="OSQuery" OR event_type="*execute*" OR event_type="*command*")
| where match(query, "(\;|\||&&|\$\(|\x60)") AND match(query, "(curl|wget|bash|sh|nc|base64)")
| stats count min(_time) as first_seen max(_time) as last_seen
        values(query) as injected_queries by user, src_ip, dest
| where count > 0
| convert ctime(first_seen) ctime(last_seen)

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="cortex,command_injection,">
  <rule id="100313" level="12">
    <decoded_as>json</decoded_as>
    <field name="event_type">OSQuery|execute|command</field>
    <regex field="query">[;&|]|\$\(|`</regex>
    <description>CVE-2026-0313: Possible OS command injection in Cortex OS Query content pack by admin $(field name='user')</description>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1059</id>
    </mitre>
    <group>cve_2026_0313,command_injection,</group>
  </rule>

  <rule id="100314" level="14">
    <if_sid>100313</if_sid>
    <regex field="query">curl|wget|base64|/bin/sh|/bin/bash</regex>
    <description>CVE-2026-0313: Confirmed suspicious command injection payload in Cortex OS Query</description>
    <group>cve_2026_0313,command_injection,</group>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 (UNPATCHED — no patch evidence from any tracked source). No vendor fix, workaround, or affected-version range is currently available in tracked data.

1. Immediate mitigations:

   • Restrict network access to Cortex XSOAR/XSIAM management interfaces to trusted administrative networks and require VPN or zero-trust access.
   • Enforce strong authentication (MFA) and least-privilege RBAC so that administrator accounts are minimized and monitored.
   • Review and, if operationally feasible, temporarily disable or constrain the OS Query content pack until a fix is confirmed.
   • Enable verbose audit logging on the Cortex platform and forward logs to a SIEM for command-injection pattern detection using the rules above.

2. Patch/upgrade steps:

   • Monitor the Palo Alto Networks security advisories portal and the NVD entry for CVE-2026-0313 for the vendor-published fixed content pack version.
   • When a patched content pack is released, update via the platform's content update mechanism and verify the installed pack version.
   • Do not treat this CVE as remediated until a vendor-acknowledged fix is applied; the current patch confidence is zero.

3. Long-term hardening:

   • Apply least-privilege design to automation content packs and audit third-party content packs before deployment.
   • Segment security orchestration platforms from production networks and enforce strict egress controls on managed endpoints.
   • Continuously monitor for anomalous child processes spawned by the Cortex service account on managed endpoints.
   • Incorporate content pack supply-chain review into change management and maintain an inventory of installed packs and versions.

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0313
• https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/ (vendor advisory portal — check for CVE-2026-0313)
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html
• https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog (CVE-2026-0313 not currently listed)

No threat actor campaigns or exploit-in-the-wild evidence are currently associated with CVE-2026-0313 based on available data. EPSS stands at 0.00833 (56.8th percentile), and no public PoC, exploit code, or Nuclei template exists at the time of writing.