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ArubaosOperating system · Arubanetworks

CVE-2018-7080

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-12-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.4.4.20 / 6.5.3.9 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A vulnerability exists in the firmware of embedded BLE radios that are part of some Aruba Access points. An attacker who is able to exploit the vulnerability could install new, potentially malicious firmware into the AP's BLE radio and could then gain access to the AP's console port. This vulnerability is applicable only if the BLE radio has been enabled in affected access points. The BLE radio is disabled by default. Note - Aruba products are NOT affected by a similar vulnerability being tracked as CVE-2018-16986.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A firmware vulnerability in embedded BLE radios of affected Aruba Access Points allows an attacker to install malicious firmware onto the BLE radio. Once compromised, the BLE radio can be used to gain unauthorized access to the AP's console port. The vulnerability is only exploitable when the BLE radio has been enabled (it is disabled by default).

MitigationEnsure the BLE radio remains disabled on affected access points unless explicitly required. If BLE is needed, apply vendor-provided firmware updates to patch the vulnerability. Review AP configurations to confirm BLE is disabled in production environments unless business justification exists.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
ArubaosOperating system
Affected:>= 6.4.4.0, < 6.4.4.20>= 6.5.3.0, < 6.5.3.9>= 6.5.4.0, < 6.5.4.9>= 8.0.0.0, < 8.2.2.2>= 8.3.0.0, < 8.3.0.4
203rp FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
203r FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ap 300 Series Access Points FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ap 300 Series Instant Access Points FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Aruba device model and firmware version
    Log into the Aruba AP controller or access point directly and retrieve the hardware model and firmware version using 'show version' or 'show inventory' commands. For Instant APs, access theInstant UI or CLI and check the version information.
    Affected if The device model is an Aruba 203r, 203rp, or AP-300 series (including Instant variants), or the firmware version falls within 6.4.4.0-6.4.4.19, 6.5.3.0-6.5.3.8, 6.5.4.0-6.5.4.8, 8.0.0.0-8.2.2.1, or 8.3.0.0-8.3.0.3.
  2. Confirm BLE radio status on the access point
    Execute 'show ble' or 'show bluetooth' on the AP CLI, or check the BLE configuration section in the Aruba controller WebUI under AP configuration. Look for BLE status or enable/disable state.
    Affected if BLE is shown as enabled or the BLE radio is in an active state.
  3. Verify BLE is not explicitly enabled in AP provisioning profiles
    Review AP group and AP provisioning settings in the Aruba controller or Instant UI. Check for any BLE-related configuration profiles that enable the radio. Use 'show ap-group' and 'show ap-provisioning' commands.
    Affected if Any AP group or provisioning profile has BLE or bluetooth enabled configuration.
  4. Check for BLE-related processes or services running on the AP
    If CLI access is available, run 'show process list' or equivalent on the AP to identify if BLE-related daemons or services are active. On newer platforms, use 'show ble radio' to confirm operational state.
    Affected if BLE radio is operational or BLE-related processes are running.

You are affected if your Aruba device is a 203r/203rp/AP-300 series or runs a vulnerable ArubaOS version listed above AND the BLE radio is currently enabled (the vulnerability requires BLE to be active, as it is disabled by default).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.4.4.20 / 6.5.3.9 / 6.5.4.9 or later
Fixed in 6.4.4.206.5.3.96.5.4.9
Interim mitigation

Ensure the BLE radio remains disabled on affected access points unless explicitly required. If BLE is needed, apply vendor-provided firmware updates to patch the vulnerability. Review AP configurations to confirm BLE is disabled in production environments unless business justification exists.

Fix this in Arubaos Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-7080 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data