CVE-2025-37163: Aruba Networking Airwave RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-37163 Overview

CVE-2025-37163 is a command injection vulnerability in the command line interface (CLI) of the HPE Aruba Networking AirWave Platform. An authenticated attacker with high privileges can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary operating system commands with elevated privileges on the underlying host. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-77] Command Injection and [CWE-78] OS Command Injection.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary OS command execution with elevated privileges, leading to full compromise of the AirWave management platform and the network infrastructure it administers.

Affected Products

HPE Aruba Networking AirWave Platform
AirWave Management Platform CLI component
See the HPE Security Advisory for specific affected versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-18 - CVE-2025-37163 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-37163

Vulnerability Analysis

The HPE Aruba Networking AirWave Platform provides centralized management for wired and wireless network infrastructure. The vulnerability resides in the platform's command line interface, where user-supplied input is passed to an operating system shell without sufficient sanitization. An authenticated attacker can append shell metacharacters or chained commands to legitimate CLI input. The injected commands execute in the context of the underlying OS process, which runs with elevated privileges.

This class of flaw falls under [CWE-77] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command and [CWE-78] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. Exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the management platform.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements in CLI input. The AirWave CLI constructs OS commands by concatenating user-controlled strings into a shell invocation. Shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, and backticks are not filtered or escaped. The resulting command string is interpreted by the shell, allowing attacker-supplied commands to run alongside the intended operation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-accessible but requires existing authenticated access with high privileges to the AirWave CLI. An attacker first obtains valid administrative credentials, through credential theft, reuse, or insider access. The attacker then issues a crafted CLI command containing injected shell syntax. The platform processes the input and executes the injected payload at the OS level, bypassing the intended CLI command boundary.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog at the time of publication.

No verified exploitation code is publicly available. Refer to the HPE Security Advisory for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-37163

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by AirWave CLI service accounts, such as /bin/sh, bash, wget, curl, or nc.
CLI audit log entries containing shell metacharacters like ;, |, &&, $(), or backticks in command parameters.
Outbound network connections from the AirWave host to unfamiliar external IP addresses or domains.
New or modified files in system directories outside the normal AirWave update workflow.

Detection Strategies

Review AirWave CLI command history and audit logs for command arguments containing shell metacharacters.
Monitor process trees for the AirWave management service to identify unexpected shell or interpreter child processes.
Correlate authenticated CLI sessions with concurrent OS-level process creation events to flag anomalous command chains.
Compare CLI session source IPs against the known administrator allowlist to detect access from unauthorized sources.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward AirWave system logs, authentication logs, and shell history to a central SIEM for retention and correlation.
Alert on privileged CLI logins outside maintenance windows or from unexpected geolocations.
Track failed and successful authentication events against the AirWave management interface to identify credential abuse.
Baseline normal CLI command frequency per administrator and alert on statistical deviations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-37163

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the patch referenced in the HPE Security Advisory to all AirWave deployments.
Rotate credentials for all privileged AirWave accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication on administrative access.
Restrict network access to the AirWave CLI to a dedicated management subnet or jump host.
Audit existing administrator accounts and remove unused or stale privileged users.

Patch Information

HPE has published a security advisory addressing CVE-2025-37163. Customers should consult the HPE Security Advisory for the list of fixed versions and upgrade instructions. Apply the vendor-supplied fix as the primary remediation.

Workarounds

Limit CLI access to a small set of trusted administrators using role-based access control.
Place the AirWave management interface behind a VPN or bastion host to reduce exposure.
Enable verbose CLI auditing to capture full command strings for forensic review.
Disable any unused CLI features or service accounts that broaden the attack surface.

bash

# Example: restrict AirWave management access at the network layer
# Replace 10.10.0.0/24 with your dedicated management subnet
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s 10.10.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j DROP