CVE-2023-35980 : What You Need to Know

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-35980, focusing on unauthenticated buffer overflow vulnerabilities affecting Aruba Access Points running InstantOS and ArubaOS 10.

Understanding CVE-2023-35980

CVE-2023-35980 discloses vulnerabilities in multiple underlying services accessed by the PAPI (Aruba's access point management protocol) UDP port (8211). These vulnerabilities could allow unauthenticated remote code execution, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code as a privileged user on the underlying operating system.

What is CVE-2023-35980?

The CVE-2023-35980 vulnerability involves buffer overflow issues in various services, posing a critical threat to the security of Aruba Access Points running InstantOS and ArubaOS 10. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities by sending specially crafted packets to the PAPI UDP port, potentially leading to high-impact consequences.

The Impact of CVE-2023-35980

The impact of CVE-2023-35980 is severe, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical). The vulnerabilities have a low attack complexity but a high availability, confidentiality, and integrity impact. They do not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code without authentication.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-35980

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, including the description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from buffer overflow weaknesses in critical services accessed via the PAPI protocol's UDP port (8211). By exploiting these flaws, attackers can trigger unauthenticated remote code execution, gaining elevated privileges on the targeted system.

Affected Systems and Versions

Aruba Access Points running InstantOS and ArubaOS 10 are impacted by CVE-2023-35980. Specifically, versions such as ArubaOS 10.4.x.x, InstantOS 8.11.x.x, InstantOS 8.10.x.x, InstantOS 8.6.x.x, InstantOS 6.5.x.x, and InstantOS 6.4.x.x are susceptible to these buffer overflow vulnerabilities.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting CVE-2023-35980 involves sending malicious packets to the PAPI UDP port (8211). These specially crafted packets can trigger buffer overflows in the targeted services, leading to unauthenticated remote code execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems against CVE-2023-35980, immediate actions and long-term security practices are crucial to mitigate risks and prevent potential exploits.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should apply vendor-supplied patches promptly, update affected systems to non-vulnerable versions, and monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity targeting the PAPI protocol.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing network segmentation, access controls, and regular security audits can enhance the overall security posture, reducing the likelihood of successful exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security advisories from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Aruba Networks, ensuring timely application of patches and firmware updates to address CVE-2023-35980 and other security flaws.