Malicious PHP Webshell Dropped in PAN-OS Unauthenticated Web Root
- Product
- linux
- Category
- file_event
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-05-06
- Updated
- 2026-08-28
ATT&CK techniques
Initial Access → PersistenceRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule detects a PHP file being written under the PAN-OS management web root path /var/appweb/htdocs/unauth/ which Wiz observed attackers using to drop webshells while exploiting CVE-2024-0012 and CVE-2024-9474 in the wild. This is important because the unauth directory should never contain attacker PHP scripts so a new PHP file there is a high confidence indicator of authentication bypass followed by webshell installation on the firewall.
Reporting behind it
- wiz.iohttps://www.wiz.io/blog/cve-2024-0012-pan-os-vulnerability-exploited-in-the-wild
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1505/003/
- labs.watchtowr.comhttps://labs.watchtowr.com/pots-and-pans-aka-an-sslvpn-palo-alto-pan-os-cve-2024-0012-and-cve-2024-9474/
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
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