In 2022, a significant vulnerability was identified in the Aruba family of operating systems, affecting a broad range of versions across Aruba InstantOS and ArubaOS 10. Known as CVE-2022-37893, this security flaw allows authenticated users to leverage the command-line interface (CLI) to inject and execute arbitrary commands as privileged users. This post breaks it down in plain language, including exploit details, affected versions, mitigation, and actionable advice.
What is CVE-2022-37893?
Put simply, CVE-2022-37893 is a command injection vulnerability. That means a legitimate, logged-in administrator could take advantage of a flawed command parser in the Aruba CLI to run unauthorized shell commands—letting them override system controls, grab data, escalate privileges, or disrupt startup scripts.
Severity score: 8.8 (High) — CVSS v3.1 Documentation
ArubaOS 10.3.x: 10.3.1. and below
IMPORTANT: If your version matches *or is older* than any above, you are exposed.
Vendor advisory:
Aruba Security Advisory ARUBA-PSA-2022-014
NIST National Vulnerability Database:
How does the exploit work?
Many network appliances allow administrators to run trusted commands through a CLI. If the OS doesn’t sanitize input well, attackers can sneak in shell metacharacters (like ; or &&) to run whatever they want.
In Aruba’s case: The CLI performs weak input filtering for certain configuration commands. An authenticated admin could use crafted input to break out of intended execution and run system-level Linux commands as root.
Example Exploit
> Note: This is for educational/defensive purposes only. Do not test this on live systems without permission.
Suppose the CLI has a vulnerable command like
set ntp-server <server-address>
A malicious admin could enter something tricky in place of <server-address>
127...1; cat /etc/passwd
If the underlying code runs
os.system(f"ntpdate {user_input}")
The actual execution becomes
ntpdate 127...1; cat /etc/passwd
Meaning, not only will ntpdate run, but the sensitive /etc/passwd file will be displayed in the admin interface.
Code Snipplet (Python-style pseudocode)
# BAD: Vulnerable code example
def cli_set_ntp_server():
server = input("Enter NTP server:")
os.system(f"ntpdate {server}")
# A malicious user supplies:
# 127...1; cat /etc/passwd
Result: Any arbitrary system command runs with CLI process privileges (often root).
What can an attacker actually do?
- Steal passwords/user info: Dump system files, config, and more.
Break or change config: Wipe logs, reboot device, interrupt network.
Important: This exploit *requires authentication* — only logged-in users or those who stole valid credentials can trigger it. Outsiders need to combine this with a method of getting admin access to the CLI.
How do I fix this?
Upgrade Immediately! Aruba issued patches for every affected version.
- Download patched firmware from Aruba support (login required)
- Check the version post-upgrade. If you’re using any firmware listed as *affected* in the advisory, update as soon as possible.
Reference Links
- NVD - CVE-2022-37893
- Aruba Security Advisory
- Aruba Downloads
Wrap Up
Vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-37893 highlight how even trusted internal tools (like a CLI) can be risky if input isn’t properly sanitized. Even though this bug needs authentication, it’s still widely exploitable if bad actors get admin credentials. Always keep your Aruba gear on the latest firmware and audit user accounts regularly.
Timeline
Published on: 10/07/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/09/2022 04:00:00 UTC