CVE-2023-45618
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 · uneditedThere are arbitrary file deletion vulnerabilities in the AirWave client service accessed by PAPI (Aruba's access point management protocol). Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities result in the ability to delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system, which could lead to the ability to interrupt normal operation and impact the integrity of the access point.
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 · moderate confidenceArbitrary file deletion vulnerability in the AirWave client service accessed via PAPI (Aruba's access point management protocol). Exploitation allows unauthenticated or authenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system, enabling disruption of normal access point operations and compromise of system integrity.
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>= 10.3.0.0, < 10.4.0.3= 10.5.0.0>= 6.4.0.0, < 8.6.0.23>= 8.10.0.0, < 8.10.0.9>= 8.11.0.0, < 8.11.2.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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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Identify if AirWave or ArubaOS/InstantOS is installedLocate the device or management system running Aruba networking software. For AirWave, check for /opt/airwave or the 'airwave' service process. For ArubaOS/InstantOS, identify the controller or access point model and its OS.Affected if The system is running Aruba AirWave, ArubaOS, or HP InstantOS software.
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Determine the installed version numberFor AirWave: check /opt/airwave/VERSION or use 'ampcli -v' or the web UI under Administration > My Account. For ArubaOS/InstantOS: use 'show version' command on the controller or access point CLI.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: ArubaOS >= 10.3.0.0 to < 10.4.0.3, or exactly 10.5.0.0; InstantOS >= 6.4.0.0 to < 8.6.0.23, >= 8.10.0.0 to < 8.10.0.9, or >= 8.11.0.0 to < 8.11.2.0.
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Verify if the PAPI service is enabled and accessibleCheck if PAPI (Aruba AP Management Protocol) is listening, typically on UDP port 8211. Use 'netstat -uan | grep 8211' or 'show ip papi enable' on ArubaOS/InstantOS CLI. Confirm the service is accessible from network interfaces rather than localhost only.Affected if PAPI service is enabled and accessible from network interfaces, particularly untrusted management interfaces.
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Check network exposure of the PAPI serviceReview firewall rules, ACLs, or management interface bindings to determine if PAPI (port 8211/UDP) is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet. Use 'show ip interface' and review access-list configurations.Affected if PAPI service is reachable from untrusted networks or management interfaces without restrictive access controls.
The environment is affected if running a vulnerable version of ArubaOS, HP InstantOS, or AirWave AND the PAPI service is network-accessible, allowing potential unauthenticated or authenticated file deletion.
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 · scoped8.6.0.238.10.0.98.11.2.0
Apply vendor-provided patches for Aruba AirWave when available; restrict network access to the PAPI service to trusted management interfaces; implement least-privilege controls on the AirWave service account.
ArubaOS: 10.4.0.3+ or 10.5.1.0+; InstantOS: 8.6.0.23+, 8.10.0.9+, or 8.11.2.0+ depending on your release branch
- 1. Back up the current device configuration to ensure settings can be restored if needed.
- 2. Download the appropriate fixed firmware version from the Aruba support portal (https://asp.arubanetworks.com): For ArubaOS 10.x, upgrade to version 10.4.0.3 or later (10.5.1.0+ if on 10.5.x); For InstantOS, upgrade to 8.6.0.23 or later, 8.10.0.9 or later, or 8.11.2.0 or later depending on your current branch.
- 3. Transfer the firmware file to the controller or access point using the device's web interface or SCP/sFTP.
- 4. Initiate the firmware upgrade through the web interface (Maintenance > Firmware) or CLI (upgrade-software command).
- 5. Wait for the upgrade to complete and the device to reboot automatically.
- 6. After reboot, verify the device is running the patched firmware version using 'show version' in CLI.
- 7. Verify normal operation by checking AP connectivity and network services.
- 8. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by reviewing the firmware release notes for the installed version.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-45618 — 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-2023-45618 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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