The security landscape for connected devices presents continuous challenges. One particularly insidious threat involves hard-coded credentials, a vulnerability that can grant unauthorized actors profound access to critical systems. Recently, a severe security flaw came to light, impacting HPE Instant On Access Points, underscoring the persistent danger such vulnerabilities pose to network infrastructure. This report details the nature of this critical issue and outlines essential preventative measures.

The Critical Flaw: Hard-Coded Credentials in HPE Instant On

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) has issued vital security updates to address a significant vulnerability discovered in its Instant On Access Point devices. This flaw, classified as a hard-coded credential issue, enables an unauthenticated attacker to bypass standard authentication mechanisms and gain full administrative control over susceptible systems. The existence of static, unchangeable credentials within the device’s firmware or software creates a backdoor that cannot be easily closed without a manufacturer-issued patch.

Vulnerability Details: CVE-2025-37103

The vulnerability is officially tracked as CVE-2025-37103. This designation by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system allows for standardized tracking and communication of cybersecurity threats. More alarmingly, the vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score of 9.8 out of a maximum of 10.0. This extremely high score signifies a critical severity, indicating that the flaw is easily exploitable with a severe impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. A CVSS score of 9.8 points to a vulnerability that is network-exploitable, requires no user interaction, and provides complete compromise upon successful exploitation.

Impact of Hard-Coded Credentials

The presence of hard-coded credentials means that a specific username and password combination is embedded directly into the device’s code and is typically unchangeable by the end-user. When an attacker discovers these credentials, they gain immediate, privileged access. In the context of HPE Instant On Access Points, this administrative access could lead to a range of malicious activities, including but not limited to:

• Network Compromise: An attacker could reconfigure the access point, redirecting traffic, creating rogue access points, or disabling legitimate network services.
• Data Exfiltration: While direct data exfiltration from the access point itself might be limited, administrative control over a network device often facilitates lateral movement within a network, potentially allowing access to sensitive data on connected systems.
• Denial of Service (DoS): An attacker could render the access point inoperable, disrupting wireless connectivity for legitimate users.
• Espionage and Surveillance: Malicious actors could monitor network traffic passing through the compromised access point, potentially capturing sensitive communications.

Remediation Actions and Best Practices

Addressing vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-37103 is paramount for maintaining network security. Device owners and IT administrators must act swiftly and decisively.

• Immediate Patching: The most crucial action is to apply the security updates released by HPE. These patches are specifically designed to remove or neutralize the hard-coded credentials, closing the backdoor. Refer to HPE’s official security advisories for specific update instructions for your Instant On models.
• Network Segmentation: Isolate critical systems and sensitive data within your network. Even if an access point is compromised, robust network segmentation limits an attacker’s ability to move freely across your infrastructure.
• Regular Firmware Updates: Implement a rigorous schedule for checking and applying firmware updates for all network devices. Manufacturers frequently release patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities.
• Strong Access Controls: While not directly preventing this specific hard-coded credential issue, strong, unique passwords for all user-configurable accounts on network devices are a fundamental security practice. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible.
• Continuous Monitoring: Deploy network monitoring tools to detect anomalous activity, unauthorized access attempts, or unusual traffic patterns emanating from or targeting your access points.
• Incident Response Plan: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to ensure your organization can effectively detect, contain, eradicate, and recover from a security breach.

Relevant Tools for Detection and Mitigation

While direct patching is the primary solution for CVE-2025-37103, several tools can aid in overall network security, vulnerability management, and incident response planning.

Tool Name	Purpose	Link
Nessus	Vulnerability Scanning & Assessment	https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus
OpenVAS	Open-Source Vulnerability Scanner	http://www.openvas.org/
Wireshark	Network Protocol Analyzer (Detection of anomalous traffic post-compromise)	https://www.wireshark.org/
Snort/Suricata	Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)	https://www.snort.org/ / https://suricata.io/

Conclusion

The discovery of hard-coded credentials in HPE Instant On devices serves as a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving nature of cybersecurity threats. A CVSS score of 9.8 is a clear call to action for all administrators utilizing these devices to prioritize and implement the necessary security updates. Beyond immediate patching, the incident highlights the fundamental importance of robust security practices: diligent patching, strong access controls, network segmentation, and continuous monitoring. Proactive defense is the best strategy against critical vulnerabilities that can expose entire networks to administrative compromise.