Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:N/R:U/V:C/RE:H/U:AmberSummary
CVE-2024-9466 is a high-severity Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File (CWE-532) vulnerability in Paloaltonetworks Expedition. Its CVSS base score is 8.2 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Credentials In Files (T1552.001); ranked in the top 4% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SC-28 (Protection of Information at Rest) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Palo Alto Networks Expedition is affected by a cleartext storage of sensitive information vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-9466 and linked to CWE-532 and CWE-312. The flaw permits an authenticated attacker to access stored firewall usernames, passwords, and API keys that were generated using those credentials. It received a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.2 under the vector AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N.
An attacker who already possesses local authenticated access to the Expedition instance can read the unprotected credential material directly from storage. This exposure can then be leveraged to authenticate to associated firewalls or to abuse the recovered API keys for further operations against managed devices.
The vendor advisory at https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/PAN-SA-2024-0010 addresses the issue, while https://www.horizon3.ai/attack-research/palo-alto-expedition-from-n-day-to-full-compromise/ provides additional technical context on exploitation paths. The EPSS probability currently stands at 0.2012 with a recorded peak of 0.2101.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-49958
Vulnerability Data
A cleartext storage of sensitive information vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Expedition allows an authenticated attacker to reveal firewall usernames, passwords, and API keys generated using those credentials.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 4 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V14.2.8
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SC-28 requires cryptographic or equivalent protection of sensitive data at rest, directly stopping cleartext storage in accessible resources.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Encryption and cryptographic controls for data-at-rest directly prevent cleartext storage of sensitive information.
Secure SDLC practices directly prohibit writing sensitive data to logs; eliminating the weakness satisfies only one narrow slice of the control.
Log generation configuration can and should exclude sensitive data, but the control statement focuses on availability rather than content filtering.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Requiring de-identification and privacy controls before logs leave the organization reduces the chance that sensitive data inadvertently captured in logs becomes exposed to external parties.
By defining what records must be kept, where, and for how long, the control discourages the inadvertent inclusion of sensitive information in logs or other externally accessible files that fall outside the formal record system.
Requiring non-standard deletion or physical destruction of media ensures that sensitive information is not left in cleartext on discarded or repurposed equipment.
Secure deletion of data before device transfer prevents residual sensitive information from remaining in cleartext on storage media that leave organizational control.
Mandating deletion of temporary files and logs that may contain sensitive information prevents those artifacts from remaining accessible after the data is no longer needed.
When log entries are produced from masked data sets, the control prevents the inadvertent insertion of sensitive values into externally accessible log files.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248525 All OL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at-rest protection. prevents CWE-312
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
- V-271756 OL 9 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at rest protection. prevents CWE-312
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
- V-230224 All RHEL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at rest protection. prevents CWE-312