CVE-2024-42400 in Aruba InstantOS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2024
Multiple unauthenticated Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerabilities exist in the Soft AP daemon accessed via the PAPI protocol. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities results in the ability to interrupt the normal operation of the affected Access Point.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-42400 represents a critical security weakness in wireless access point implementations that affects the Soft AP daemon through the PAPI protocol interface. This vulnerability class falls under the broader category of denial-of-service attacks that exploit weaknesses in network infrastructure components, specifically targeting the fundamental operational integrity of wireless access points. The issue manifests when attackers can manipulate the Soft AP daemon without requiring authentication credentials, effectively granting unauthorized access to critical system functions that control wireless network operations.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the PAPI protocol implementation used by the Soft AP daemon. This weakness allows malicious actors to send specially crafted packets or commands that can cause the daemon to crash, restart, or otherwise become unresponsive. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the system fails to properly validate incoming data or authenticate requests before processing them, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by any network entity capable of communicating with the affected access point. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284, which specifically addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and CWE-400, relating to improper handling of input that can lead to resource exhaustion or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network disruption as it can compromise the availability of wireless services for legitimate users and potentially create opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. When the Soft AP daemon becomes unresponsive or crashes, the wireless access point ceases to function properly, affecting network connectivity for all connected devices and potentially disrupting critical business operations. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that even users without legitimate network credentials can exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical access to wireless infrastructure is possible. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a significant risk to enterprise wireless infrastructure security.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate wireless access points from critical systems, implementing firewall rules to restrict PAPI protocol access, and applying vendor-provided patches or firmware updates as soon as they become available. The remediation strategy should also include monitoring network traffic for suspicious PAPI protocol activity and establishing incident response procedures for detecting and responding to potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of wireless infrastructure components are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities and maintain overall network resilience against unauthorized access attempts.