CVE-2026-8169: Extreme Networks Switch Engine Exos

High severity, CVSS 8.7. EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

ExtremeXOS (EXOS) uses a challenge-response mechanism to authorize access to the privileged debug-mode function. The challenge value is generated using an insufficiently random source, which under certain conditions may allow an attacker to predict the expected response and activate debug-mode without authorization. Depending on device configuration and version, this may enable escalation to root-level access and persistent modification of the device software stack. Exploitation requires either a valid low-privilege account on the device (remote scenario) or physical serial console access (local scenario). This vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2017-14329, which addressed a different issue involving Python script privileges. Extreme would like to thank Hadrien Barral (Université Gustave Eiffel) and Georges-Axel Jaloyan (French Ministry of the Interior) for responsible disclosure of their findings.

Affected products

• Extreme Networks Switch Engine Exos: before 31.7.4 (fixed in 31.7.4); from 32.0.0, before 32.7.4.15 (fixed in 32.7.4.15); from 33.0.0, before 33.1.100 (fixed in 33.1.100); from 33.2.0, before 33.7.1 (fixed in 33.7.1)

Published 2026-07-20. Last modified 2026-07-21.