CVE-2022-37902 is an authenticated command injection vulnerability affecting multiple Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Aruba networking products, including Aruba Mobility Conductor (formerly known as Mobility Master), Aruba Mobility Controllers, WLAN Gateways, and SD-WAN Gateways managed via Aruba Central. The vulnerability exists within the ArubaOS command line interface (CLI), where insufficient input validation allows an authenticated user with privileged access to inject arbitrary commands. Successful exploitation enables execution of arbitrary commands with elevated privileges on the underlying operating system, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), indicating that the root cause is inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input in command execution contexts. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.2, reflecting high severity due to the network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requirement for high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No public exploits have been reported in the wild to date, and no specific affected versions or patches are listed in the provided data. The vulnerability requires authenticated access with elevated privileges, which limits exposure to internal or compromised users but remains critical given the privileged command execution capability. Aruba networking products are widely deployed in enterprise environments for wireless and SD-WAN infrastructure, making this vulnerability a significant risk for network availability and security if exploited.

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2022-37902 could lead to severe consequences including unauthorized control over critical network infrastructure components. This could result in interception or manipulation of network traffic, disruption of wireless and SD-WAN services, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. The ability to execute arbitrary commands as a privileged user compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network operations, potentially leading to data breaches, service outages, and loss of trust. Given the reliance on Aruba products in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications across Europe, the impact could extend to critical national infrastructure and sensitive data environments. The requirement for authenticated privileged access somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threats or risks from compromised credentials. The absence of known public exploits reduces immediate risk but does not preclude targeted attacks or future exploit development. Organizations using Aruba Central for centralized management face additional risks if attackers gain access to the management platform, potentially enabling widespread compromise of managed devices.

1. Enforce strict access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users with privileged access to ArubaOS CLI and Aruba Central management interfaces to reduce risk of credential compromise. 2. Conduct immediate inventory and identification of all Aruba Mobility Conductors, Mobility Controllers, WLAN Gateways, and SD-WAN Gateways in the environment to assess exposure. 3. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual command execution patterns or unauthorized access attempts on Aruba devices. 4. Apply vendor-released patches or firmware updates as soon as they become available; if no patches are currently released, engage with HPE support for mitigation guidance or workarounds. 5. Limit network access to management interfaces by implementing network segmentation and firewall rules restricting access to trusted administrative hosts. 6. Regularly review and minimize the number of users with high privilege levels on Aruba devices to reduce attack surface. 7. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions on management workstations to detect potential credential theft or misuse. 8. Consider deploying network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) tuned to detect command injection attempts or anomalous CLI activity on Aruba devices. 9. Educate administrators on secure CLI usage and the risks of command injection vulnerabilities to prevent inadvertent exposure. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control hardening, proactive monitoring, and network segmentation tailored to the specific nature of this vulnerability and the affected Aruba products.