CVE-2023-22754 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE, assigned by HPE, was published on February 28, 2023, and affects Aruba Mobility Conductor, Aruba Mobility Controllers, WLAN Gateways, and SD-WAN Gateways managed by Aruba Central.

Understanding CVE-2023-22754

This vulnerability involves unauthenticated buffer overflow vulnerabilities in ArubaOS processes, which can be exploited remotely to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system.

What is CVE-2023-22754?

The CVE involves buffer overflow vulnerabilities in multiple underlying operating system processes that can be exploited by sending specially crafted packets via the PAPI protocol. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code as a privileged user on the underlying operating system.

The Impact of CVE-2023-22754

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as HIGH, with a CVSS base score of 8.1. It has a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with no privileges required for exploitation. The attack vector is through the network with high attack complexity.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-22754

This section delves into the specific technical details of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from buffer overflow issues in ArubaOS processes, allowing unauthenticated remote code execution by sending specially crafted packets via the PAPI protocol.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected products include Aruba mobility solutions such as Aruba Mobility Conductor, Mobility Controllers, WLAN Gateways, and SD-WAN Gateways managed by Aruba Central. Versions impacted include ArubaOS 8.10.x.x (up to 8.10.0.4), ArubaOS 10.3.x.x (up to 10.3.1.0), and SD-WAN 8.7.0.0-2.3.0.x (up to 8.7.0.0-2.3.0.8).

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by sending specially crafted packets via the PAPI protocol, leading to unauthenticated remote code execution on the targeted system.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-22754, immediate action and long-term security practices are essential to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should apply security patches provided by the vendor promptly to address the vulnerability.
Network security configurations should be reviewed and hardened to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software and firmware to ensure the latest security fixes are in place.
Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
Educate users on security best practices and raise awareness about the risks associated with remote code execution vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) may release security patches to address the CVE-2023-22754 vulnerability. Organizations using the affected products should monitor advisories from the vendor and apply patches as soon as they are available to secure their systems against potential exploits.