CVE-2022-23691
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 · uneditedA vulnerability exists in certain AOS-CX switch models which could allow an attacker with access to the recovery console to bypass normal authentication. A successful exploit allows an attacker to bypass system authentication and achieve total switch compromise in ArubaOS-CX Switches version(s): AOS-CX 10.10.xxxx: 10.10.0002 and below, AOS-CX 10.09.xxxx: 10.09.1030 and below, AOS-CX 10.08.xxxx: 10.08.1070 and below, AOS-CX 10.06.xxxx: 10.06.0210 and below. Aruba has released upgrades for ArubaOS-CX Switch Devices that address this security vulnerability.
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 confidenceAOS-CX switches contain a recovery console authentication bypass vulnerability. Attackers with physical or console access to the recovery mode can bypass normal authentication mechanisms and gain full administrative control of the switch, compromising the entire network device.
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>= 10.06.0000, <= 10.06.0210>= 10.08.0000, <= 10.08.1070>= 10.09.0000, <= 10.09.1030>= 10.10.0000, <= 10.10.0002CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed ArubaOS-CX firmware versionExecute 'show version' or 'show boot' command on the switch CLI to display the current firmware versionAffected if The displayed version falls within these ranges: 10.06.0000-10.06.0210, 10.08.0000-10.08.1070, 10.09.0000-10.09.1030, or 10.10.0000-10.10.0002
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Verify firmware is within a vulnerable release trainConfirm that the major.minor version (first two octets) matches 10.06.x, 10.08.x, 10.09.x, or 10.10.x and the build number is at or below the upper bound of the respective vulnerable rangeAffected if The switch runs any version listed in the vulnerable ranges above
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Identify if recovery console access is possiblePhysical inspection: determine whether the switch recovery console (serial/JTAG ports) is located in accessible physical locations (shared racks, unsecured IDF/MDF rooms, or areas without access controls)Affected if Physical console ports are accessible to unauthorized personnel AND the firmware version is within the vulnerable ranges
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Check for console connection loggingReview switch logs using 'show logging -r' or central log aggregation for events indicating recovery mode access or unexpected console connectionsAffected if Unexpected recovery console access events appear in logs AND the firmware version is vulnerable
A switch is affected if it runs ArubaOS-CX firmware version 10.06.0210 or lower, 10.08.1070 or lower, 10.09.1030 or lower, or 10.10.0002 or lower, and attackers could potentially gain physical or console access to recovery mode.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpgrade ArubaOS-CX to a version beyond the listed vulnerable releases (10.10.0003+, 10.09.1031+, 10.08.1071+, 10.06.0211+). Until patched, strictly control physical access to switch recovery console ports and monitor for unauthorized console connections.
Upgrade to any AOS-CX version newer than 10.06.0210/10.08.1070/10.09.1030/10.10.0002 (exact fixed versions available from Aruba support portal)
- Identify the current AOS-CX version running on the switch using 'show version'
- Determine which version branch (10.06, 10.08, 10.09, or 10.10) the switch is running
- Access the Aruba support portal at www.arubanetworks.com to obtain the appropriate fixed software version for your switch model
- Download the upgraded AOS-CX firmware that is newer than the vulnerable version (newer than 10.06.0210, 10.08.1070, 10.09.1030, or 10.10.0002 depending on your branch)
- Upload the new firmware to the switch using the management interface or USB (if supported)
- Reboot the switch to apply the new firmware using 'reload' command
- After reboot, verify the new version is installed using 'show version'
- If the recovery console is not needed in production, ensure physical security controls are in place to prevent unauthorized access to the console port
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-23691 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-23691 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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