CVE-2026-76723 in Instant ON
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
Buffer overflow vulnerabilities exist in the affected interface of HPE Networking Instant ON APS that could allow an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to achieve remote code execution. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the network management software suite known as HPE Networking Instant On Access Point System, specifically affecting its administrative interface components. This buffer overflow condition arises from improper handling of memory allocation and bounds checking during the processing of input data received by the affected service. In systems engineering, such flaws typically occur when an application writes more data to a fixed-length block of memory than it can hold, causing adjacent memory locations to be overwritten with unintended values. The severity of this issue is compounded by its accessibility profile, as it permits exploitation by unauthenticated attackers who are positioned on the same local network segment or have direct adjacency to the target device. This lack of authentication requirement significantly lowers the barrier for entry, allowing any entity within reach of the network traffic to attempt an exploit without needing valid credentials or prior compromise of user accounts.
From a technical perspective, the operational impact of successfully exploiting this buffer overflow is severe and potentially catastrophic for the affected infrastructure. An attacker who achieves remote code execution gains the ability to run arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system hosting the management interface. This level of access effectively equates to full control over the device's software environment. The consequences extend beyond simple disruption, as the compromised system can be used as a pivot point for further lateral movement within the network. Attackers may install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive configuration data including SSID passwords and encryption keys, or deploy malware that persists across reboots. Furthermore, because this is an access point management interface, compromising it could allow an attacker to manipulate wireless security settings, potentially degrading the overall security posture of the entire connected network by disabling firewalls or altering routing tables.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-120, which classifies buffer copy without checking size limits as a fundamental memory safety error. The exploitation vector corresponds directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1190, described as Exploit Public-Facing Application, although in this specific context the application is not necessarily public-facing but rather adjacent-accessible via local network protocols. Additionally, the ability to execute arbitrary commands post-exploitation maps to ATT&CK tactic TA0002 Execution and specifically techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter or T1033 System Owner/User Discovery if used for reconnaissance before deeper compromise. The lack of authentication required for exploitation highlights a failure in proper access control implementation, which may also relate to CWE-862 Missing Authorization checks within the specific API endpoints handling the vulnerable input parameters.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense is the application of vendor-provided security patches that correct the memory management logic by implementing strict bounds checking on all user-supplied inputs before they are processed by the buffer allocation routines. Administrators should prioritize updating to the latest stable release of HPE Networking Instant On APS software as soon as it becomes available from official channels. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, network segmentation serves as a critical compensating control. By restricting access to the management interface only through trusted VLANs or dedicated out-of-band management networks, organizations can effectively isolate the vulnerable service from general user traffic and potential adjacent attackers. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems with signatures for known buffer overflow exploitation attempts can provide an additional layer of monitoring and alerting, although this should not be relied upon as a sole defense mechanism given that many exploits are polymorphic or obfuscated to evade signature-based detection.