CVE-2018-7081
CVE-2018-7081 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Arubanetworks Arubaos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- CVSS v2: 9.3
- EPSS exploit prediction: 6% (92nd percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-20
- Affected product: Arubanetworks Arubaos
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
A remote code execution vulnerability is present in network-listening components in some versions of ArubaOS. An attacker with the ability to transmit specially-crafted IP traffic to a mobility controller could exploit this vulnerability and cause a process crash or to execute arbitrary code within the underlying operating system with full system privileges. Such an attack could lead to complete system compromise. The ability to transmit traffic to an IP interface on the mobility controller is required to carry out an attack. The attack leverages the PAPI protocol (UDP port 8211). If the mobility controller is only bridging L2 traffic to an uplink and does not have an IP address that is accessible to the attacker, it cannot be attacked.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-7081?
- A remote code execution vulnerability is present in network-listening components in some versions of ArubaOS. An attacker with the ability to transmit specially-crafted IP traffic to a mobility controller could exploit this vulnerability and cause a process crash or to execute arbitrary code within the underlying operating system with full system privileges. Such an attack could lead to complete system compromise. The ability to transmit traffic to an IP interface on the mobility controller is required to carry out an attack. The attack leverages the PAPI protocol (UDP port 8211). If the mobility controller is only bridging L2 traffic to an uplink and does not have an IP address that is accessible to the attacker, it cannot be attacked.
- How severe is CVE-2018-7081?
- CVE-2018-7081 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-7081 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-7081?
- CVE-2018-7081 affects Arubanetworks Arubaos. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-7081?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2018-7081 published?
- CVE-2018-7081 was published on 2019-09-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2019-004.txt
- https://x-c3ll.github.io/posts/CVE-2018-7081-RCE-ArubaOS/
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:o:arubanetworks:arubaos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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