Well known administrator account is active with full privilege
At a glance
Base severity
Area
Platform
Evidence level
Benchmark reference
Reads the export, not the device
ConfigProof reads a configuration export. This control is evaluated against the objects in that file, and it reports what the file says. It does not connect to the device and sees no traffic, so a finding here describes the configuration, not what the firewall is doing right now.
Why it matters
An account with a predictable name such as admin or apiuser holds the superuser role. Predictable names are the first thing credential stuffing tries.
How to fix it
Web interface
The steps below are written for the web interface. A finding raised on your own export carries the same steps with your object names filled in.
- Create named administrator accounts and disable the generic ones.
- Bind administrators to an authentication profile with multi factor authentication.
- Rotate any shared credential that was in use.
Command line
PAN-OS CLI
set mgt-config users <object-name> disabled yesAn example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Nothing here commits. Review the candidate configuration, then commit it yourself.
Read it back
show mgt-config users <object-name>Values to fill in1
- <object-name>
- The object's name, as it appears on your firewall
Before you type it1
- Keep one working administrator you can still sign in with.
How to confirm the fix
- Create and test the replacement named account before disabling this one.
- Keep a break-glass path open while making the change.
Limits
- The password itself is never read, so this reports the account name and the role only.
Compliance references
No benchmark recommendation is mapped to this control in this version.
More in Administrators and Access
- PAN-SEC-026Management access allows HTTP or Telnet
- PAN-SEC-028More superuser administrators than a small team needs
- PAN-SEC-046Administrator has no central authentication profile
- PAN-SEC-096Management interface accepts HTTPS or SSH from any address
- PAN-SEC-097Management interface allows HTTP or Telnet
- PAN-SEC-118Minimum password complexity is not enabled
- PAN-SEC-119Minimum password length is below 12
- PAN-SEC-120Passwords need no uppercase letter
See it on your own firewall
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