CVE-2025-37155 is a vulnerability identified in the SSH restricted shell interface of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Aruba Networking AOS-CX operating system, specifically versions 10.10.0000 through 10.16.0000. The flaw arises from improper access control mechanisms that fail to enforce privilege restrictions correctly for authenticated users assigned read-only access. This weakness enables an attacker who already has read-only privileges to escalate their access rights to administrator level without requiring additional authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), indicating a fundamental failure in enforcing security policies. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high severity, with vector metrics indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability presents a significant risk due to the critical nature of network management systems and the potential for complete system compromise. The affected product, HPE Aruba AOS-CX, is widely used in enterprise network environments for managing switches and other network devices, making this vulnerability a serious concern for network security.

The exploitation of CVE-2025-37155 can have severe consequences for organizations globally. An attacker with read-only access can escalate privileges to administrator level, gaining full control over network management functions. This can lead to unauthorized configuration changes, interception or manipulation of network traffic, disruption of network services, and potential lateral movement within the network. The confidentiality of sensitive data managed or transmitted through the network devices can be compromised, integrity of network configurations can be undermined, and availability of critical network infrastructure can be disrupted. Given the central role of HPE Aruba AOS-CX in enterprise networking, successful exploitation could result in widespread operational outages, data breaches, and significant financial and reputational damage. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation and high impact make it a critical risk, especially in environments where network access controls are not tightly enforced or where read-only credentials are widely distributed.

To mitigate CVE-2025-37155, organizations should immediately identify and inventory all HPE Aruba AOS-CX devices running affected versions (10.10.0000 through 10.16.0000). Although no official patches are currently listed, organizations should monitor HPE advisories closely for forthcoming security updates and apply them promptly once available. In the interim, restrict SSH access to network management interfaces using network segmentation, firewall rules, and access control lists to limit exposure to trusted administrators only. Review and minimize the distribution of read-only credentials, ensuring they are granted only to necessary personnel and monitored for unusual activity. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible to add an additional security layer. Regularly audit user privileges and session logs to detect potential privilege escalation attempts. Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor for anomalous SSH activity. Finally, conduct security awareness training for network administrators to recognize and respond to suspicious behavior related to network management access.