CVE-2014-8424: ARRIS VAP2500 firmware improper password validation allows auth bypass

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 19 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

high priorityUnauthenticated remote authentication bypass with full confidentiality impact and a very high EPSS percentile, though no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation is documented in this record.

What it is

ARRIS VAP2500 firmware before FW08.41 does not properly validate passwords, allowing remote attackers to bypass authentication. Because the flaw is in authentication logic rather than a memory-safety bug, a successful bypass grants access to the device without valid credentials. The record does not specify which interfaces or accounts are affected beyond the authentication bypass itself.

Impact

An unauthenticated remote attacker gains access to the device's protected functionality, with the CVSS vector indicating a full confidentiality impact (C:C) and no integrity or availability impact. In practice this exposes configuration and data reachable through the bypassed authentication layer.

Attack surface

Reachable over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L) and no authentication required (Au:N), per the CVSS 2.0 vector. The description does not state whether user interaction is needed, but the vector implies none.

Exploitation

Not listed in CISA KEV and no ransomware associations are documented. EPSS is high (0.59617, 99th percentile), suggesting elevated likelihood of exploitation activity, but the references carry no exploit tags and no public exploit is confirmed by this record.

What to do

• Upgrade VAP2500 firmware to FW08.41 or later, which the description identifies as the fixed version.
• If the device cannot be updated, restrict management and service interfaces to trusted networks and block exposure to the internet.
• Replace or isolate end-of-life VAP2500 units that cannot receive the fixed firmware.
• Enforce strong unique credentials and monitor authentication logs for anomalous successful logins.
• Segment the device on a dedicated VLAN with strict firewall rules limiting inbound access.

Detection

• Monitor authentication logs for successful logins from unexpected source IPs or with malformed or empty password fields.
• Alert on management interface access from external or non-management networks.
• Baseline normal VAP2500 traffic and flag unusual sessions or configuration changes following authentication events.
• Watch for repeated authentication attempts or bypass patterns against the device's web or management services.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.