CVE-2024-42507
📋 TL;DR
This critical vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands with privileged access on Aruba access points by sending malicious packets to UDP port 8211. It affects Aruba access points and controllers using the PAPI protocol. Successful exploitation gives attackers full control of the affected device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aruba Access Points
- Aruba Mobility Controllers
⚠️ 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 network infrastructure, lateral movement to other systems, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation across the entire network.
Likely Case
Ransomware deployment, credential harvesting, network reconnaissance, and disruption of wireless services.
If Mitigated
Isolated impact limited to individual access points if network segmentation and strict firewall rules are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending crafted UDP packets to port 8211, which is relatively simple for attackers with network access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to HPE advisory for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw04712en_us&docLocale=en_US
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review HPE advisory for affected versions. 2. Download and apply appropriate firmware updates. 3. Restart affected devices. 4. Verify patch application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block PAPI UDP Port
allBlock access to UDP port 8211 at network perimeter and between network segments
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 8211 -j DROP
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block Aruba PAPI" dir=in action=block protocol=UDP localport=8211
Network Segmentation
allIsolate Aruba devices in separate VLANs with strict access controls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict firewall rules to block all inbound UDP traffic to port 8211 from untrusted networks
- Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts on port 8211
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if UDP port 8211 is open and accessible on Aruba devices using nmap or similar tools: nmap -sU -p 8211 <device_ip>Check Version:
show version (on Aruba CLI) or check web interface for firmware versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version matches patched version from HPE advisory and test that command injection attempts no longer succeed📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual command execution in system logs
- Failed authentication attempts followed by command execution
- Unexpected process creation
Network Indicators:
- Unusual UDP traffic to port 8211 from unexpected sources
- Malformed PAPI packets
- Command strings in network traffic
SIEM Query:
source_port=8211 OR dest_port=8211 AND (protocol=UDP AND (payload_contains="cmd" OR payload_contains="exec" OR payload_contains="system"))