# CVE-2026-23822: HPE Aruba AOS-8 XML entity expansion in DHCP services

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-23822-hpe-aruba-aos-8-xml-entity-expansion-in-dhcp-services  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-12. Updated: 2026-05-14  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-23822 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-05-12

A vulnerability exists in the DHCP services of HPE Aruba Networking Access Points running AOS-8 Instant software. An unauthenticated attacker could exploit this flaw to cause the device to consume excessive resources, leading to a service outage or reduced network availability. This disruption requires some level of user interaction to be triggered and specifically impacts the wireless connectivity provided by these access points.

Technologies: [HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 Instant](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/aos-8-instant). Vendors: [HPE Aruba Networking](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/hpe-aruba-networking).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-23822 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-23822 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-23822?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 12 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 Instant 8.x.x.x.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-23822?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-23822 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in device firmware.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-23822?** Check whether you run HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 Instant at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is classified as an Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs (CWE-776), commonly known as an XML Entity Expansion or 'Billion Laughs' attack. It resides within the XML handling component of the DHCP services in AOS-8 Instant firmware. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted XML data that, when processed, causes excessive CPU and memory consumption. The attack requires a high complexity (AC:H) and user interaction (UI:R) to succeed. Successful exploitation results in a Denial of Service (DoS) affecting the availability of the Access Point.

## Affected products

- HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 Instant 8.x.x.x

## Timeline

- 2026-05-12: disclosed: Initial publication of the vulnerability advisory.

## References

- [https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05049en_us&docLocale=en_US](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05049en_us&docLocale=en_US)

## Related threats

- [HPE Aruba AOS command injection in Access Point CLI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-23820-hpe-aruba-aos-command-injection-in-access-point-cli)
- [HPE Aruba AOS Cross-Site Scripting in Web Management Interface](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-23819-hpe-aruba-aos-cross-site-scripting-in-web-management-interface)