ExtremeXOS Debug-Mode Privilege Escalation via Weak PRNG
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-8169 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | ExtremeNetworks |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-07-20 18:16:56 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-07-20 20:16:46 UTC |
| Description | 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. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 8.7 HIGH from 1c053176-eef3-4d6a-ae0b-24728c86587b
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/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Problem Types: CWE-338 | CWE-338 CWE-338: Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 1c053176-eef3-4d6a-ae0b-24728c86587b | Secondary | 8.7 | HIGH | 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/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 8.7 | HIGH | 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 |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
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/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Extreme Networks | Switch Engine EXOS | affected 31.7.4 custom | Switch Engine |
| CNA | Extreme Networks | Switch Engine EXOS | affected 32.0.0 32.7.4.15 custom | Switch Engine |
| CNA | Extreme Networks | Switch Engine EXOS | affected 33.0.0 33.1.100 custom | Switch Engine |
| CNA | Extreme Networks | Switch Engine EXOS | affected 33.2.0 33.7.1 custom | Switch Engine |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| www.extremenetworks.com/support/policies/product-security | 1c053176-eef3-4d6a-ae0b-24728c86587b | www.extremenetworks.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: 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. (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Solutions
CNA: 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.
Workarounds
CNA: 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.