If you already have an operational Palo Alto VM running an older version of PAN-OS and want to upgrade, you do not need to download the image to your local computer. Via the Web GUI: Go to > Software . Click Check Now at the bottom of the screen.
Once your account has the necessary permissions, follow these steps to secure your VM image: Step 1: Log In to the Support Portal
After downloading the VM image, verify its integrity by checking the file's MD5 or SHA-256 checksum. palo alto download vm image
Tip: For initial deployments, download the first, then download the preferred maintenance release (e.g., x.x.8) to update it.
: Select PAN-OS for VM-Series Base Images to find .ova files. If you already have an operational Palo Alto
The base image works but:
: Access the Customer Support Portal and log in with your credentials. Once your account has the necessary permissions, follow
🚀 Always verify the SHA256 checksum provided on the download page against your downloaded file to ensure the image wasn't corrupted during the transfer.
The VM-Series provides enterprise-grade security, including application identification, user-based policy enforcement, threat prevention, URL filtering, and Advanced Threat Protection, all delivered through a software-based architecture.
For those who want to evaluate the VM-Series without a paid license, Palo Alto Networks offers a for ESXi and KVM environments. The trial request form requires business information (full company name, business email, company address) and specifically notes that personal emails like Gmail or Yahoo are not accepted. Once approved, you receive download links via email.
The Panorama Software Firewall License plugin allows you to automatically license VM-Series firewalls when they connect to Panorama. This requires Panorama 10.0.0 or later and VM-Series firewalls running PAN-OS 9.1.0 or later.