CVE-2026-102165 in Wi-Fi Access Points
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
On affected Arista Wi-Fi access points, an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the capture service can send a crafted packet to cause the service to crash or potentially achieve remote code execution. This exploit requires an uncommonly used non-default streaming mode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability in question affects specific models of Arista Wi-Fi access points, presenting a critical security risk due to its potential for unauthenticated exploitation. The core issue lies within the capture service component of the device's firmware architecture. This service is designed to handle network traffic analysis and logging but contains a flaw that allows an attacker with basic network connectivity to interact with it in unintended ways. Specifically, by sending a specially crafted packet to this service, an adversary can trigger a catastrophic failure resulting in a denial of service condition where the access point crashes or becomes unresponsive. More severely, under certain conditions, the memory corruption caused by these malformed packets could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the target device with the privileges of the compromised service, leading to full remote code execution and complete compromise of the network infrastructure element.
The technical nature of this flaw suggests a classic buffer overflow or heap corruption vulnerability within the packet parsing logic of the capture service. When the service receives data that exceeds expected bounds or contains malformed structures, it fails to properly validate input before processing. This lack of rigorous boundary checking allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory regions, potentially overwriting return addresses or function pointers in a way that redirects execution flow to malicious shellcode injected by the attacker. The severity is amplified by the fact that no authentication is required to initiate this attack vector, meaning any host on the same network segment can attempt exploitation without needing valid credentials.
Operational impact from this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Arista Wi-Fi infrastructure for secure connectivity and monitoring. A successful denial of service disrupts wireless availability for legitimate users, causing business interruptions and potential loss of productivity. If remote code execution is achieved, the consequences are far more severe. An attacker could install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data traversing the network, pivot to other internal systems, or use the compromised access point as a foothold for further lateral movement within the enterprise network. This undermines the fundamental security principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability that such infrastructure is meant to support.
It is important to note that exploitation requires an uncommonly used non-default streaming mode. This constraint implies that while the vulnerability exists in the codebase, it may not be triggered under standard operational configurations where default settings are maintained. However, organizations that have customized their capture or logging services for specific analytical purposes might inadvertently expose themselves to this risk if they enable the affected streaming mode without applying appropriate mitigations. The requirement for network access means the attack surface is limited to devices reachable on the local subnet unless additional routing vulnerabilities exist elsewhere in the infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the Arista Wi-Fi access point firmware to versions that address this specific flaw, as provided by the vendor. In cases where updating is not immediately feasible, administrators should review their configuration settings and ensure that the non-default streaming mode associated with the capture service is disabled if it is not strictly necessary for operations. Network segmentation can also serve as a temporary control measure; restricting access to the management interfaces and specific services like the capture service through firewall rules or VLAN isolation can prevent unauthenticated hosts from reaching the vulnerable component. Continuous monitoring of network traffic for anomalous patterns indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unusually large packets directed at port numbers associated with the capture service, is also recommended to detect potential attacks in progress.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input and potentially CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command if code execution leads to shell access. In terms of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, it relates to techniques involving exploitation for remote code execution or denial of service against network devices. Understanding these mappings helps security teams align their detection rules and response procedures with established industry standards for handling similar classes of vulnerabilities across diverse vendor ecosystems.