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Arubaos CxOperating system · Hpe

CVE-2021-41003

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.09.0002 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
Multiple unauthenticated command injection vulnerabilities were discovered in the AOS-CX API interface in Aruba CX 6200F Switch Series, Aruba 6300 Switch Series, Aruba 6400 Switch Series, Aruba 8320 Switch Series, Aruba 8325 Switch Series, Aruba 8400 Switch Series, Aruba CX 8360 Switch Series version(s): AOS-CX 10.06.xxxx: 10.06.0170 and below, AOS-CX 10.07.xxxx: 10.07.0050 and below, AOS-CX 10.08.xxxx: 10.08.1030 and below, AOS-CX 10.09.xxxx: 10.09.0002 and below. Aruba has released upgrades for Aruba AOS-CX devices that address these security vulnerabilities.

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

Multiple unauthenticated command injection vulnerabilities exist in the AOS-CX API interface of Aruba CX switch series. Attackers can inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands through the API without authentication, potentially compromising the entire switch and network.

MitigationApply Aruba-provided firmware upgrades to all affected switch series: AOS-CX 10.06.xxxx to version above 10.06.0170, 10.07.xxxx to above 10.07.0050, 10.08.xxxx to above 10.08.1030, and 10.09.xxxx to above 10.09.0002.

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
Arubaos CxOperating system
Affected:>= 10.06.0001, <= 10.06.0170>= 10.07.0001, <= 10.07.0050>= 10.08.0001, <= 10.08.1030>= 10.09.0001, <= 10.09.0002

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

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. Confirm Aruba CX switch model
    Identify the switch model by checking 'show system' or 'show version' output. Look for CX series models such as 6000, 6100, 6200, 6300, 6400, 8300, or 8360 series.
    Affected if Device is not an Aruba CX switch series - vulnerability does not apply
  2. Check installed AOS-CX firmware version
    Run 'show version' or 'show system' command to retrieve the current AOS-CX software version. Note the full version number including the build (e.g., 10.06.0170).
    Affected if Version falls within any of these ranges: 10.06.0001-10.06.0170, 10.07.0001-10.07.0050, 10.08.0001-10.08.1030, or 10.09.0001-10.09.0002
  3. Verify API interface status
    Check if the REST API is enabled by reviewing 'show http-server' or 'show rest-server' output. The API typically runs on port 443 or 8080.
    Affected if REST API interface is enabled and accessible on the network - only relevant if version is also affected
  4. Check API authentication configuration
    Review 'show running-config' for 'rest-api' or 'http-server' settings. Look for authentication settings and whether unauthenticated access is permitted.
    Affected if API authentication is disabled or improperly configured - combined with affected version indicates direct exposure

You are affected if the device is an Aruba CX switch running AOS-CX version 10.06.0001-10.06.0170, 10.07.0001-10.07.0050, 10.08.0001-10.08.1030, or 10.09.0001-10.09.0002 with the REST API interface enabled.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 10.09.0002
Interim mitigation

Apply Aruba-provided firmware upgrades to all affected switch series: AOS-CX 10.06.xxxx to version above 10.06.0170, 10.07.xxxx to above 10.07.0050, 10.08.xxxx to above 10.08.1030, and 10.09.xxxx to above 10.09.0002.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

AOS-CX version above 10.06.0170 for 10.06.x branch, above 10.07.0050 for 10.07.x branch, above 10.08.1030 for 10.08.x branch, or above 10.09.0002 for 10.09.x branch - contact Aruba support for specific fixed releases

  1. 1. Identify the current AOS-CX version running on the Aruba CX switch by accessing the device CLI or Web UI
  2. 2. Based on the current version branch (10.06.x, 10.07.x, 10.08.x, or 10.09.x), determine the next available stable release in that branch
  3. 3. Download the appropriate AOS-CX firmware upgrade from the Aruba support portal (https://asp.arubanetworks.com)
  4. 4. Upload the new firmware to the switch via the CLI (command: copy <source> system:/) or through the Web UI under System > Firmware
  5. 5. Execute the upgrade command in configuration mode: boot system <firmware-filename>
  6. 6. After the switch reboots, verify the new version is running: show version
  7. 7. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by reviewing the release notes for the new version
Caveat Standard firmware upgrade procedure; ensure configuration backup before upgrading; some upgrades may require longer maintenance windows for larger code size increments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Arubaos Cx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2021-41003 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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