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CriticalVulnerabilityCVE-2026-79866updated 25 Oct 2026, 16:50 UTC

Aruba AOS-8 controller: unauthenticated file access over PAPI

An attacker on the same local network can, without logging in, read, change, or delete files on the network device's operating system. This could let them take control of the device or disrupt the network.

Official, 2 sources
SeverityCriticalCVSS 9.6 of 10
Being exploited?UnclearNo reports either way yet
Fix available?UnclearNo fixed version published in the sources yet
How sure is this?Official, 2 sourcesBacked by an official source

How the attack works simplified

  1. 1Adjacent attackerSits on the same local network
  2. 2Sends PAPI requestNo login or credentials needed
  3. 3Path traversalRequest escapes intended directory
  4. 4Read or change filesOS files accessed directly
  5. ResultAttacker gains file control on the device

What happened

An unauthenticated path traversal flaw in the PAPI protocol of Aruba AOS-8 lets an adjacent attacker access arbitrary files on the underlying OS.

Why it is dangerous: Successful exploitation allows reading, modifying, and deleting system files without credentials, which can compromise the controller and the wireless or network traffic it manages.

Are you affected?

You are affected if you run Aruba AOS-8 with the PAPI protocol reachable from a network segment an attacker can reach.

Aruba AOS-8 (exact versions not stated in the provided material)

What to do

  1. Check the vendor advisory for the fixed AOS-8 version and update to it
  2. Restrict access to the PAPI protocol to trusted management hosts only
  3. Limit which network segments can reach the controller until patched

Timeline

  1. 22 Oct 2026, 19:17 UTC
    Publicly disclosed
  2. 22 Oct 2026, 19:17 UTC
    Reported by NVD · NVD
  3. 25 Oct 2026, 16:50 UTC
    GitHub Advisory reported on it · GitHub Advisory

Sources 2 reports, oldest first

Official vendor, government CERT or advisory database

Technical details

ID
CVE-2026-79866 · GHSA-mrc3-qq5w-rw79
CVSS
9.6 / 10
EPSS
0.3% chance of exploitation within 30 days
Disclosed
22 Oct 2026, 19:17 UTC
On Zero Radar
before the radar started
Last change
25 Oct 2026, 16:50 UTC

The plain-language parts and the attack diagram were written by an AI model (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5) from the sources above. Facts like versions, exploitation and dates come from the sources themselves. How Zero Radar works

Aruba AOS-8 controller: unauthenticated file access over PAPI · Zero Radar