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Arubaos SwitchOperating system · Hpe

CVE-2023-39268

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.04.0027 / 16.08.0027 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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 memory corruption vulnerability in ArubaOS-Switch could lead to unauthenticated remote code execution by receiving specially crafted packets. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in the ability to execute arbitrary code as a privileged user on the underlying operating system.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in ArubaOS-Switch allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by sending specially crafted network packets to the affected device.

MitigationApply the Aruba security patch immediately; until patched, restrict network access to management interfaces and disable unused protocols to reduce attack surface.

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 SwitchOperating system
Affected:< a.15.16.0026>= 16.01.0000, < 16.04.0027>= 16.05.0000, < 16.08.0027>= 16.10.0001, < 16.10.0024>= 16.11.0001, < 16.11.0013

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checks

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

  1. Determine the installed ArubaOS-Switch version
    Access the switch CLI and run the command 'show version' to display the firmware version. Alternatively, access the web management interface and navigate to the System or About section to view the software version.
    Affected if The displayed version falls into any of these vulnerable ranges: < a.15.16.0026; >= 16.01.0000 and < 16.04.0027; >= 16.05.0000 and < 16.08.0027; >= 16.10.0001 and < 16.10.0024; >= 16.11.0001 and < 16.11.0013
  2. Identify the full version string precisely
    Record the complete version number from the 'show version' output, including any prefix letters. ArubaOS versions may appear as 'a.15.x.x', '16.01.x.x', '16.05.x.x', '16.10.x.x', or '16.11.x.x' format.
    Affected if The version number matches the pattern of any affected branch and is lower than the corresponding patched version (16.04.0027, 16.08.0027, 16.10.0024, or 16.11.0013)
  3. Verify network accessibility of the switch management interface
    Confirm whether the switch management IP address is reachable from network segments that are not strictly controlled. Check if protocols like telnet, SSH, or web management are enabled and accessible from untrusted networks.
    Affected if The device is network-accessible without additional authentication layers beyond the switch login, as the vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote code execution via crafted network packets

You are affected if your ArubaOS-Switch version falls within any of the listed vulnerable ranges and the device management interface is accessible from your network.

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 16.04.0027 / 16.08.0027 / 16.10.0024 or later
Fixed in 16.04.002716.08.002716.10.0024
Interim mitigation

Apply the Aruba security patch immediately; until patched, restrict network access to management interfaces and disable unused protocols to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to a.15.16.0026 (15.x) or 16.04.0027 (16.01.x) or 16.08.0027 (16.05-16.07.x) or 16.10.0024 (16.10.x)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed ArubaOS-Switch version by running 'show version' or 'show flash' on the switch CLI.
  2. 2. Determine which version branch your current firmware belongs to (15.x, 16.01.x, 16.05-16.07.x, or 16.10.x).
  3. 3. Download the appropriate fixed firmware version from the Aruba support portal: For 15.x branch, upgrade to a.15.16.0026 or later; For 16.01.x branch, upgrade to 16.04.0027 or later; For 16.05-16.07.x branch, upgrade to 16.08.0027 or later; For 16.10.x branch, upgrade to 16.10.0024 or later.
  4. 4. Transfer the firmware file to the switch using TFTP, FTP, or USB (e.g., 'copy tftp://<server>/<file> flash').
  5. 5. Verify the firmware image integrity if prompted.
  6. 6. Execute the firmware upgrade command (e.g., 'boot system <flash filename>' or use the 'write memory' after reload command).
  7. 7. Reload the switch when maintenance window permits.
  8. 8. After reboot, verify the new version is running with 'show version' and confirm the vulnerability is remediated.
Caveat Review Aruba's release notes for any configuration changes or compatibility considerations before upgrading; ensure backup of current configuration is saved.

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

Fix this in Arubaos Switch Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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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-2023-39268 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