Executive Summary
In December 2025, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) disclosed a maximum-severity security vulnerability (CVE-2025-37164) in its HPE OneView infrastructure management software. The flaw enabled unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems through low-complexity code injection, threatening widespread compromise of connected server, storage, and networking infrastructure. Reported by security researcher Nguyen Quoc Khanh, the vulnerability affected all OneView versions prior to v11.00, with no workarounds or mitigations available aside from applying vendor patches or hotfixes. As of publication, there were no confirmed reports of exploitation in the wild, but the risk to global HPE customers—including many Fortune 500 companies—was considered severe.
The incident highlights the ongoing risks posed by critical remote code execution vulnerabilities in widely-used infrastructure management tools. With attackers regularly scanning for vulnerable systems and exploiting them in supply chain and ransomware campaigns, organizations must prioritize rapid patching and holistic vulnerability management to stay resilient.
Why This Matters Now
This critical vulnerability underscores the persistent threat of RCE flaws in core IT management platforms, which are prized targets for threat actors seeking broad access. With no viable mitigation except urgent patching, organizations that delay updates risk disruptive compromise, regulatory scrutiny, and potentially significant data loss.
Attack Path Analysis
The attacker exploited an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in HPE OneView to achieve initial access. Leveraging this foothold, they likely escalated privileges by executing code under elevated process accounts. With these privileges, the attacker could move laterally across east-west traffic paths within the infrastructure. They established outbound communication with external infrastructure for command and control. Sensitive data could then be exfiltrated through unmonitored egress channels. The final impact could include system disruption, data leakage, or further compromise of IT assets.
Kill Chain Progression
Initial Compromise
Description
Threat actors exploited CVE-2025-37164, an unauthenticated RCE in HPE OneView, to gain a remote foothold without credentials.
Related CVEs
CVE-2025-37164
CVSS 9.8A remote code execution vulnerability in HPE OneView allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code.
Affected Products:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise OneView – < 11.00
Exploit Status:
exploited in the wild
MITRE ATT&CK® Techniques
Exploit Public-Facing Application
Command and Scripting Interpreter
Valid Accounts
Create Account
Remote Services
Impair Defenses
Ingress Tool Transfer
Potential Compliance Exposure
Mapping incident impact across multiple compliance frameworks.
PCI DSS 4.0 – Address Commonly Exploited Vulnerabilities
Control ID: 6.2.4
NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500 – Cybersecurity Policy
Control ID: 500.03
DORA – ICT Risk Management Framework
Control ID: Article 9(2)
CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model (ZTMM) 2.0 – Asset Vulnerability Management
Control ID: Asset Management
NIS2 Directive – Cybersecurity Risk-management Measures
Control ID: Article 21
Sector Implications
Industry-specific impact of the vulnerabilities, including operational, regulatory, and cloud security risks.
Information Technology/IT
Critical RCE vulnerability in HPE OneView infrastructure management software exposes IT operations to unauthenticated remote code execution attacks requiring immediate patching.
Health Care / Life Sciences
HPE OneView RCE flaw threatens healthcare infrastructure management systems, potentially compromising HIPAA compliance and critical medical device operations without available workarounds.
Financial Services
Maximum severity remote code execution vulnerability in HPE infrastructure management creates significant risk for financial institutions' centralized server and network operations.
Government Administration
Unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in HPE OneView poses severe threat to government infrastructure management, requiring immediate upgrade to version 11.00 or hotfix deployment.
Sources
- HPE warns of maximum severity RCE flaw in OneView softwarehttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hpe-warns-of-maximum-severity-rce-flaw-in-oneview-software/Verified
- HPE Security Bulletin: HPE OneView Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilityhttps://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbgn04985en_usVerified
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog Entry for CVE-2025-37164https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-37164Verified
- NVD CVE-2025-37164 Detailhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37164Verified
Frequently Asked Questions
Cloud Native Security Fabric Mitigations and ControlsCNSF
Applying Zero Trust segmentation, workload isolation, traffic encryption, egress policy, and inline threat detection would have significantly constrained attacker movement, reduced blast radius, and enhanced detection of malicious activity throughout the attack chain.
Control: Cloud Firewall (ACF)
Mitigation: Unauthenticated exploitation attempts detected and blocked at the perimeter.
Control: Threat Detection & Anomaly Response
Mitigation: Unusual process or access activity detected post-compromise.
Control: Zero Trust Segmentation
Mitigation: Lateral movement contained and blocked between micro-segmented workloads.
Control: Egress Security & Policy Enforcement
Mitigation: Malicious outbound traffic detected and prevented.
Control: Encrypted Traffic (HPE)
Mitigation: Unauthorized data exfiltration detectable and encrypted in transit.
Rapid detection and response to integrity-impacting events.
Impact at a Glance
Affected Business Functions
- Infrastructure Management
- IT Operations
Estimated downtime: 3 days
Estimated loss: $500,000
Potential exposure of sensitive infrastructure configurations and administrative credentials.
Recommended Actions
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
- • Segment management interfaces from all untrusted networks using strict Zero Trust microsegmentation.
- • Mandate boundary cloud firewalls with granular allow-listing for all infrastructure management tools.
- • Enforce continuous anomaly-based threat detection and privilege escalation monitoring across workloads.
- • Implement rigorous egress controls with FQDN and application-aware filtering to prevent C2 and data leakage.
- • Maintain up-to-date vulnerability management and rapidly apply vendor security hotfixes to critical assets.
