Is CVE-2019-17440 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2019-17440 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2019-17440 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2019-17440 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-17440?

CVE-2019-17440 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-17440

CRITICAL

CVE-2019-17440

CWE-923Published: December 20, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Improper restriction of communications to Log Forwarding Card (LFC) on PA-7000 Series devices with second-generation Switch Management Card (SMC) may allow an attacker with network access to the LFC to gain root access to PAN-OS. This issue affects PAN-OS 9.0 versions prior to 9.0.5-h3 on PA-7080 and PA-7050 devices with an LFC installed and configured. This issue does not affect PA-7000 Series deployments using the first-generation SMC and the Log Processing Card (LPC). This issue does not affect any other PA series devices. This issue does not affect devices without an LFC. This issue does not affect PAN-OS 8.1 or prior releases. This issue only affected a very limited number of customers and we undertook individual outreach to help them upgrade. At the time of publication, all identified customers have upgraded SW or content and are not impacted.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-17440 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.