CVE-2026-76725 in Instant ON
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
A vulnerability has been identified in a management protocol of HPE Networking Instant ON APs that could allow an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to circumvent existing authentication controls. Successful exploitation could result in a complete bypass of security restrictions, potentially leading to remote code execution with elevated privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the management interface protocols utilized by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Networking Instant ON Access Points. This specific flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker operating on the same local network segment to circumvent established authentication mechanisms. The core technical issue involves a failure in the protocol implementation to properly validate credentials or session tokens before processing administrative commands, effectively creating an authorization bypass that undermines the intended security posture of the device. By exploiting this weakness, an adversary can interact with the management interface as if they were an authenticated administrator without possessing valid login credentials.
This authentication bypass represents a critical failure in access control logic, aligning closely with CWE-287 Improper Authentication and CWE-269 Unauthorized Privilege Use. The vulnerability enables lateral movement within the network environment since it requires adjacent network positioning but does not require prior compromise of other systems to initiate exploitation. Once an attacker gains this unauthorized administrative access, they can modify critical configuration settings, disable security logging features, or manipulate firmware update mechanisms. This level of control effectively neutralizes many defensive measures deployed at the edge of the network infrastructure.
The operational impact of successful exploitation is severe and potentially catastrophic for organizational security. With full administrative privileges obtained through this bypass, an attacker can achieve remote code execution with elevated system rights on the access point itself. From there, the compromised device can serve as a pivot point for further attacks against internal networks. Attackers may install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data traversing the wireless network, or disrupt service availability by altering routing tables and security policies. The ability to execute code remotely with high privileges transforms this from an information disclosure issue into a complete system compromise scenario.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate isolation and patch management due to the severity of remote code execution potential. Organizations should immediately apply vendor-provided firmware updates that address the authentication validation logic in the management protocol. In cases where patches are not yet available, network segmentation is critical; access points with this vulnerability should be placed in isolated VLANs restricted from sensitive internal resources until remediation occurs. Additionally, implementing strict firewall rules to limit administrative traffic sources can reduce the attack surface for adjacent attackers. Continuous monitoring of device logs for unusual configuration changes or unauthorized login attempts remains essential for detecting exploitation activity during the transition period.