How to Fix CVE-2026-23601: Broken cryptography in HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)

By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.

CVE-2026-23601 is a broken cryptography in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8). The fix is to apply the vendor patch noted below.

What is CVE-2026-23601?

A vulnerability has been identified in the wireless encryption handling of Wi-Fi transmissions. A malicious actor can generate shared-key authenticated transmissions containing targeted payloads while impersonating the identity of a primary BSSID.Successful exploitation allows for the delivery of tampered data to specific endpoints, bypassing standard cryptographic separation. The CVSS base score is 5.4 (Medium). The official advisory is at https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05026en_us&docLocale=en_US.

Am I affected?

Check the version of HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) you are running and compare it against the Affected row above (HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 10.8.0.0; HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 10.7.0.0 to <=10.7.2.2; HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 10.4.0.0 to <=10.4.1.10; HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 8.13.0.0 to <=8.13.1.1; HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 8.12.0.0 to <=8.12.0.6; HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) 8.10.0.0 to <=8.10.0.21). If your build sits inside the affected range, you must patch.

Run the version check that fits your platform:

# Linux package check
dpkg -s hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null
command -v hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 >/dev/null && hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 --version 2>/dev/null

# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-Package -Name "*HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name, Version
winget list --name "HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)" 2>$null

How to fix CVE-2026-23601

Upgrade HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8) to a patched build: See vendor advisory. The vendor advisory is the source of truth for the exact fixed version.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
dpkg -s hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 | grep -i ^Version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 -y
# or for older releases:
sudo yum update hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 -y
rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)

# Fix script for CVE-2026-23601 affecting HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-23601-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detect installed version"
    $pkg = Get-Package -Name "*HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($pkg) { $pkg | Format-Table Name, Version }
    else { Write-Host "Not detected via Get-Package; try winget list" }

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backup configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Apply the upgrade to See vendor advisory"
    winget upgrade --name "HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        # Fallback: pull latest via OS update channel
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
    winget list --name "HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)"
    Write-Host "Patch applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-23601 affecting HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-23601-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detect installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version || echo "hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 || echo "hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backup configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-23601-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 /etc/hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8.d /etc/hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Apply the upgrade (target: See vendor advisory)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --refresh -y hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive update hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
fi

echo "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8
fi
echo "Done. Restart any service that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

Apply at least one of the following inline controls until you can deploy the patched build. None replace the upgrade.

Restrict exposure with nftables (Linux)

# Allow only trusted CIDR to reach the affected service ports
sudo nft add table inet filter 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }' 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {80, 443} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Block at the host firewall (Windows)

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-23601" -Direction Inbound -Action Block -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80,443 -RemoteAddress Any -Enabled True
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-23601"

Disable the affected service (Linux)

sudo systemctl stop hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null || true
sudo systemctl disable hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null || true

If the vendor advisory lists an official workaround, prefer that wording verbatim. If no workaround is published, the only safe remediation is the patch.

How to verify the fix worked

After upgrading, confirm the installed version matches the patched build and that no old library is still loaded by a long-running process.

# Linux
dpkg -s hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q hpe-aruba-networking-wireless-operating-system-aos-10-aos-8 2>/dev/null || true
# Pid map check for old library handles
sudo lsof +c0 2>/dev/null | grep -i "DEL.*lib" || true

# Windows
Get-Package -Name "*HPE Aruba Networking Wireless Operating System (AOS-10 & AOS-8)*" | Select-Object Name, Version
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above See vendor advisory. Restart the affected service (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, or restart the Windows service) so it loads the patched binary.

Frequently asked questions

Related fixes

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

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Is CVE-2026-23601 actively exploited?

There is no public confirmation of exploitation in the wild listed in CISA KEV at the time of this writing. Patch anyway. Public exploits commonly follow disclosure within weeks.

Do I need to reboot after patching CVE-2026-23601?

For kernel and OS-level updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough on Linux, and restarting the Windows service or app on Windows. Any process that loaded the old library keeps using it until restarted.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-23601?

5.4 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.

Where is the official advisory for CVE-2026-23601?

The vendor advisory is at https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05026en_us&docLocale=en_US. The NVD record is at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23601.

References

• Official vendor advisory: https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05026en_us&docLocale=en_US
• NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23601
• CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*