Hackers Are Using Popular VPN to Breach Online Company Data in Pakistan

Vulnerability Exploitation

The vulnerability in question, tracked as CVE-2026-0257, is a critical security flaw that affects the GlobalProtect VPN portal and gateway components running on PAN-OS software. According to the National CERT Pakistan advisory, the issue can allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to VPN sessions without requiring any user interaction. This is particularly concerning because it does not require authentication or user action, increasing the risk for exposed systems connected to the internet.

Potential Consequences

Successful attacks could give threat actors an initial entry point into organizational networks, particularly impacting government departments, financial institutions, telecom operators, and private enterprises relying on remote access systems. Once inside, attackers may be able to move laterally across internal systems, steal sensitive data, harvest credentials, and maintain persistent access for extended periods. Compromised VPN infrastructure could disrupt critical services and expose interconnected networks to further intrusion.

Mitigation and Recommendations

National CERT has urged organizations to immediately apply vendor-issued security updates for affected PAN-OS versions and implement recommended protections. These include enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), restricting VPN access to trusted IP ranges, and strengthening logging and monitoring of VPN activity. Organizations have also been advised to review active sessions, investigate unusual login patterns, and search for signs of compromise such as unexpected IP addresses or unauthorized VPN connections. Improved incident response coordination by correlating VPN, firewall, and authentication logs, isolating suspicious systems, and rotating credentials where necessary is also recommended.