CVE-2024-26304
📋 TL;DR
This is a critical buffer overflow vulnerability in Aruba's L2/L3 Management service that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with privileged access by sending specially crafted packets to UDP port 8211. It affects Aruba access points and mobility controllers running vulnerable versions of the PAPI protocol.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aruba Mobility Controllers
- Aruba Access Points
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of affected network devices leading to network takeover, data exfiltration, lateral movement, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to device compromise, credential theft, and network reconnaissance.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if devices are behind firewalls with strict ingress filtering and network segmentation.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability requires sending crafted packets to a specific UDP port, making exploitation straightforward for attackers with network access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to Aruba advisory ARUBA-PSA-2024-004 for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2024-004.txt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review Aruba advisory ARUBA-PSA-2024-004. 2. Identify affected devices and versions. 3. Download and apply appropriate firmware updates from Aruba support portal. 4. Reboot devices after patching. 5. Verify patch application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block PAPI Port at Perimeter
allBlock UDP port 8211 at network perimeter firewalls to prevent external exploitation
firewall rule to block UDP/8211 inbound
Restrict PAPI Access with ACLs
allImplement access control lists to restrict which IP addresses can communicate with PAPI port
configure ACL on affected devices to limit UDP/8211 access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices in dedicated VLANs with strict network segmentation
- Implement intrusion detection/prevention systems to monitor for exploitation attempts on UDP port 8211
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device firmware version against vulnerable versions listed in Aruba advisory ARUBA-PSA-2024-004Check Version:
show version (on Aruba CLI) or check web interface for firmware versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version matches patched versions from Aruba advisory and confirm PAPI service is running updated code📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns on UDP port 8211
- Unexpected process execution on Aruba devices
- Authentication failures or privilege escalation attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual UDP traffic to port 8211 from unexpected sources
- Large or malformed packets to UDP/8211
SIEM Query:
source_port:8211 OR destination_port:8211 protocol:UDP AND (packet_size:>normal OR source_ip:not_in_whitelist)