The Palo Alto device must be configured with only one local account to be used as the account of last resort in the event the authentication server is unavailable.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-268323	SRG-APP-000148-NDM-000346	PANW-NM-000048	SV-268323r1084266_rule	2025-03-12	3

Description
Authentication for administrative (privileged level) access to the device is required at all times. An account can be created on the device's local database for use when the authentication server is down or connectivity between the device and the authentication server is not operable. This account is referred to as the account of last resort since it is intended to be used as a last resort and when immediate administrative access is absolutely necessary. The account of last resort logon credentials must be stored in a sealed envelope and kept in a safe. The safe must be periodically audited to verify the envelope remains sealed. The signature of the auditor and the date of the audit must be added to the envelope as a record. Administrators must secure the credentials and disable the root account (if possible) when not needed for system administration functions.

Description

Authentication for administrative (privileged level) access to the device is required at all times. An account can be created on the device's local database for use when the authentication server is down or connectivity between the device and the authentication server is not operable. This account is referred to as the account of last resort since it is intended to be used as a last resort and when immediate administrative access is absolutely necessary. The account of last resort logon credentials must be stored in a sealed envelope and kept in a safe. The safe must be periodically audited to verify the envelope remains sealed. The signature of the auditor and the date of the audit must be added to the envelope as a record. Administrators must secure the credentials and disable the root account (if possible) when not needed for system administration functions.

ℹ️ Check
Navigate to Device >> Administrators. Review the user list. If there is an authentication profile/user account configured (and enabled) for any account other than the emergency administration account, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Remove local users other than the designated account of last resort. Using the Console UI: Navigate to Device >> Administrators. Select and delete local users other than the account of last resort. Note: To protect against brute-force attacks, delete the default admin account by creating a new superuser administrator account, logging out, and logging back in using the new account.