ExtremeXOS (EXOS) uses a challenge-response mechanism to authorize access to the privileged debug-mode function. The challenge value is generated using an insufficiently random source, which under certain conditions may allow an attacker to predict the expected response and activate debug-mode without authorization. Depending on device configuration and version, this may enable escalation to root-level access and persistent modification of the device software stack. Exploitation requires either a valid low-privilege account on the device (remote scenario) or physical serial console access (local scenario). This vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2017-14329, which addressed a different issue involving Python script privileges.
Extreme would like to thank Hadrien Barral (Université Gustave Eiffel) and Georges-Axel Jaloyan (French Ministry of the Interior) for responsible disclosure of their findings.
"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://www.extremenetworks.com/support/policies/product-security","name":"Extreme Networks Product Security","tags":["vendor-advisory"]}],"metrics":[{"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}],"cvssV4_0":{"attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","privilegesRequired":"LOW","userInteraction":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"HIGH","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"HIGH","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"HIGH","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","version":"4.0","baseSeverity":"HIGH","baseScore":8.7,"vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"}}],"workarounds":[{"lang":"en","value":"Where immediate upgrade is not feasible, customers should: (1) restrict CLI access to trusted administrators only; (2) enforce strong authentication and rotate any default credentials; (3) restrict physical access to serial console ports; and (4) monitor device logs for unexpected debug-mode activation attempts.","supportingMedia":[{"type":"text/html","base64":false,"value":"Where immediate upgrade is not feasible, customers should: (1) restrict CLI access to trusted administrators only; (2) enforce strong authentication and rotate any default credentials; (3) restrict physical access to serial console ports; and (4) monitor device logs for unexpected debug-mode activation attempts.
"}]}],"solutions":[{"lang":"en","value":"Extreme Networks has released fixed versions of Switch Engine (EXOS) that address this vulnerability. Customers should upgrade to one of the following releases or later: 31.7.4, 32.7.4.15, 33.1.100, or 33.7.1.","supportingMedia":[{"type":"text/html","base64":false,"value":"Extreme Networks has released fixed versions of Switch Engine (EXOS) that address this vulnerability. Customers should upgrade to one of the following releases or later: 31.7.4, 32.7.4.15, 33.1.100, or 33.7.1.
"}]}],"credits":[{"lang":"en","value":"Extreme would like to thank Hadrien Barral (Université Gustave Eiffel) and Georges-Axel Jaloyan (French Ministry of the Interior) for responsible disclosure of their findings.","type":"finder"}],"source":{"advisory":"SA-2026-087","discovery":"EXTERNAL"},"x_generator":{"engine":"Vulnogram 1.0.2"}},"adp":[{"metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-07-20T18:26:07.254983Z","id":"CVE-2026-8169","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","providerMetadata":{"orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","shortName":"CISA-ADP","dateUpdated":"2026-07-20T18:26:18.638Z"}}]}}