Is CVE-2020-2040 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2020-2040 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2020-2040 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2020-2040 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-2040?

CVE-2020-2040 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

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CRITICAL

CVE-2020-2040

CWE-120Published: September 9, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A buffer overflow vulnerability in PAN-OS allows an unauthenticated attacker to disrupt system processes and potentially execute arbitrary code with root privileges by sending a malicious request to the Captive Portal or Multi-Factor Authentication interface. This issue impacts: All versions of PAN-OS 8.0; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 8.1.15; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.0.9; PAN-OS 9.1 versions earlier than PAN-OS 9.1.3.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-2040 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.