Hacker News: Mysterious Palo Alto firewall reboots? You’re not alone

Feb 13, 2025

—

Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/13/palo_alto_firewall/
Source: Hacker News
Title: Mysterious Palo Alto firewall reboots? You’re not alone

Feedly Summary: Comments

AI Summary and Description: Yes

Summary: The text discusses the unexpected reboot issues faced by Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls due to specific network traffic, highlighting the importance of timely updates and the potential security implications. It also touches on disruptions caused by Proofpoint’s anti-spam service, emphasizing the need for robust security measures against threats, especially given the historical targeting of Palo Alto firewalls by malicious actors.

Detailed Description:

– Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls have been experiencing random reboot issues reported by multiple customers, linked to version 11.1.4-h7/h9 of PAN-OS. These unexpected reboots create concerns regarding potential security vulnerabilities or hardware faults.

– The company is aware of the situation and has prepared a patch (hotfix 11.1.4-h12) to address the issue, currently available on a limited basis. A more general update is expected soon (around February 20) to fully secure and optimize systems with additional fixes.

– Palo Alto Networks was hesitant to specify the types of network traffic causing these reboots, citing security reasons. This lack of detail raises concerns about what threats might be exploited.

– The sensitivity of firewall operations is underscored by mentioning past incidents where criminals targeted Palo Alto equipment due to serious flaws. A significant breach occurred when thousands of firewalls were hijacked, indicating that such devices are valuable targets for attackers.

– The text makes reference to recent security warnings involving vulnerabilities in Palo Alto products, especially involving state-sponsored actors like the Iranian Pioneer Kitten crew, emphasizing the importance of swift patch management and vigilance.

– Additionally, the mention of Proofpoint’s anti-spam service issues adds context to the importance of software reliability in security frameworks, highlighting that even trusted services can face transient faults impacting operations.

Key Points:
– The unexpected reboot of firewalls can have serious implications for IT security.
– Palo Alto is in the process of rolling out critical updates.
– Past vulnerabilities exploited by attackers illustrate the ongoing risks associated with firewall security.
– Reliable email security services are crucial to prevent misclassification of legitimate communication.

This analysis draws attention for professionals in security, emphasizing the need for vigilance, regular updates, and awareness of potential vulnerabilities in prominent security technologies.

1 2 3 4 5 7 a Act AI analysis and anti as attack attackers awareness AWS breach by C CERN CIA class classification communication concerns Context core critical Current Customer D de disruption e email email security equipment event exp exploit face fault firewall firewalls flaws for framework frameworks full g Gen GIS git Go gs hack hacker Hacker News hardware high Highlight hotfix HR http HTTPS implications in incident Iran Iranian ite J jack k Key l law led liability Link linked malicious actors man management multi my network network traffic networks news no o of on one operation opt out Palo Alto Palo Alto Networks PAM Patch Patch Management point potential pre process product products professionals proof Proofpoint R rate RCE red reliability report Risk risks Ro robust security Rust s sec secure security security framework security frameworks security implications security measure security measures security technologies Security Vulnerabilities security warnings sensitivity service services Sig SoC software software reliability source spam specific sponsored sponsored actors SSE state state-sponsored state-sponsored actors Swift system systems T targeted tech technologies text the threat threats Time to Tor TP traffic trust two UI up update updates US use V val version vigilance vulnerabilities Wi x