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ClearPass Policy Manager CVE-2026-79796

| EUVDEUVD-2026-93883 CRITICAL
Improper Authentication (CWE-287)
2026-10-06 security-alert@hpe.com GHSA-7wf7-w5jj-hhjq
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: hpe
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach ClearPass interface over network
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted auth-bypass request
  3. Exploit
    Circumvent authentication controls
  4. Execution
    Gain unauthorized system access
  5. Impact
    Abuse NAC policy control

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Authentication mechanism validation
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Defense Evasion, Initial Access

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires network reachability to the ClearPass Policy Manager 'affected interface' (the bulletin does not name the specific service/port, so defenders should confirm which management or web interface is exposed). Per the CVSS vector (PR:N/UI:N/AC:L), no credentials, no user interaction, and no special configuration are stated as prerequisites, implying default-configuration exploitability. The primary limiting factor is exposure: ClearPass management interfaces are typically intended to be on restricted management networks, so organizations that do not expose the affected interface to untrusted networks substantially reduce realistic risk. Exact affected versions are not provided and must be obtained from the HPE bulletin.

Impact

All available signals point to this being a genuine high priority rather than a CVSS-inflated non-issue. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated attack requiring no user interaction, which for an authentication-bypass flaw in a network access control appliance is the most dangerous possible combination. The claimed impact is full compromise (C:H/I:H/A:H) consistent with 'unauthorized access to the affected system.' However, several decision-support signals are ABSENT from the provided data: there is no EPSS exploitation-probability score, no CISA KEV listing, no SSVC decision values, and no POC indicator - so exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified and must be inferred from the vector alone. There is also no CWE assigned (CWE: N/A) and the description is deliberately vague ('the affected interface' is never named), so the exact bypass mechanism is unverified. Treat this as high-priority to patch based on vector and vendor severity, but note that the real-world exploitation signal (EPSS/KEV/POC) is simply missing rather than confirmed low.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker with network reachability to the ClearPass Policy Manager interface sends crafted requests that circumvent the authentication controls, obtaining unauthorized access without any credentials or user interaction. Because ClearPass is a network access control hub, that access could be leveraged to view or alter policy and gain a foothold into enrollment and authentication decisions. No public exploit was identified in the provided data, so this scenario is derived from the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N) rather than an observed exploit.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 06, 2026

Authentication bypass in HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to circumvent existing authentication controls on the affected interface and gain unauthorized access to the system, rated CVSS v3.1 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). No public exploit code was identified and the vulnerability is not confirmed actively exploited (no CISA KEV), but the assessed vector shows no credentials, no user interaction and no special configuration required, implying default-configuration exploitability where the interface is reachable. Independent assessment concludes the available signals point to a genuine high-priority issue rather than a CVSS-inflated non-issue; the exact affected versions and the specific exposed service are not named in the available HPE bulletin, so exposure of the interface is the primary risk-limiting factor.

RemediationAI

Patch status is not confirmed by the provided data - no fix version, patch reference, or availability statement was supplied - so the authoritative action is to pull the referenced HPE security bulletin (hpesbnw05158en_us at https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05158en_us&docLocale=en_US) and apply the vendor-designated fixed release for the affected ClearPass Policy Manager branch; do not upgrade blindly to an unnamed build. Until a fix is installed, the highest-value compensating control is exposure reduction: firewall or ACL the ClearPass management and API interfaces so they are reachable only from a dedicated management VLAN, jump host, or VPN pool, and confirm whether the as-yet-unnamed 'affected interface' is actually reachable from untrusted networks - the trade-off is that legitimate integrations (endpoint profiling, guest portals, external SIEM or MDM service accounts) that call the API from other subnets will break unless their source addresses are explicitly allowlisted. Disable or bind-to-localhost any management service not actively in use, and review authentication logs for successful administrative sessions lacking a corresponding credential event, since a bypass leaves no failed-login trail; note that this is detective-only and cannot stop exploitation. Because ClearPass is itself the authentication authority for the network, a compromise also undermines downstream 802.1X/RADIUS trust, so rotate any secrets, shared RADIUS/TACACS+ keys and API credentials held on the appliance once a patch is applied, accepting the operational disruption of re-keying network devices.

Affected VersionsENISA

ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) 6.11.0 ≤6.11.15
ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) 6.14.0 ≤6.14.0

Affected Packages

euvd clearpass_policy_manager_cppm no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

ClearPass Policy Manager is HPE Aruba Networking's network access control (NAC) platform, handling RADIUS/TACACS+ authentication and authorization, 802.1X and MAC-based access control, guest onboarding, device profiling and posture checks. The vulnerability sits in what the vendor calls an 'affected interface' - the bulletin does not identify the specific service, port, or endpoint (web administration UI, REST API, or a management service), leaving defenders to enumerate what is exposed. No CWE identifier was supplied; the reported tag 'Authentication Bypass' places the root cause in the improper-authentication/authorization-control family (the CWE-287 lineage), where an attacker-supplied request reaches protected functionality without a valid credential check. Because the CVSS vector is PR:N/UI:N/AC:L/S:U with High confidentiality, integrity and availability impact, exploitation is conceptually a single unauthenticated request against a reachable interface yielding full administrative control of the policy engine. No CPE strings or vendor version coordinates were included in the provided data, so precise affected builds cannot be enumerated from this feed and must be taken from the HPE advisory.

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Severity by source

Vendor (hpe) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

An unauthenticated network-reachable authentication bypass yielding unauthorized access justifies AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, and full system access on a policy appliance supports C:H/I:H/A:H.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (hpe).

CVSS VectorVendor: hpe

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

Vulnerabilities have been identified in the affected interface of ClearPass Policy Manager that could potentially allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to circumvent existing authentication controls. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the affected system.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager, a central policy and network access control platform, is affected by a critical authentication bypass that an unauthenticated remote attacker could use to gain high-impact access if the vulnerable interface is reachable. Because no vendor-released patch is identified and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, leadership should prioritize reducing exposure and confirming asset inventory, as affected ClearPass deployments support authentication and access decisions for employees, guests, and devices across the enterprise.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include restricting the affected interface to trusted management networks via firewall rules, ACLs, and network segmentation, disabling or limiting exposure of the vulnerable service if not business-essential, enforcing MFA and least privilege for administrative access, monitoring ClearPass logs for authentication bypass or unauthorized policy changes, and engaging HPE support for version-specific workarounds.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 61% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
HPE Aruba enterprise NAC appliance; common in larger networks, not ubiquitous
Threat Intel
1
1 sources
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.5%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

49
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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