Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has released security updates to address a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in its infrastructure management platform HPE OneView. Tracked as CVE-2025-37164 and rated CVSS 10.0 (the maximum possible severity), the flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, putting entire data center environments at risk.
HPE OneView: Why a Management Platform Is a High-Value Target
HPE OneView is a centralized infrastructure management solution used to administer servers, storage systems, and network components across data centers and hybrid environments. It orchestrates provisioning, monitoring, firmware updates, and configuration management for large-scale HPE deployments.
Because OneView effectively serves as a “control plane” for critical infrastructure, a successful attack on this platform can translate into deep and broad control over the entire environment. Unlike a compromise of a single server, control over OneView can enable an attacker to push malicious changes across many systems in a coordinated way.
Technical Overview of CVE-2025-37164 Remote Code Execution
According to HPE’s advisory, CVE-2025-37164 impacts all HPE OneView versions up to and including 11.00. The vulnerability enables a remote attacker with no prior authentication (no valid username or password) to trigger remote code execution on a vulnerable OneView instance.
The flaw was reported by Vietnamese security researcher “brocked200”. While HPE has not published full exploit details, the combination of a network-exploitable RCE and a CVSS 10.0 score strongly indicates that exploitation is straightforward once technical information becomes public. Industry experience with similar management-plane vulnerabilities—such as issues in virtualization platforms and orchestration tools—shows that proof-of-concept exploits often appear quickly after advisories are released.
At the time of the advisory, HPE stated it had no confirmed evidence of in-the-wild exploitation. However, historical data from incident reports and threat intelligence shows that critical RCE flaws in widely deployed enterprise products rapidly become part of attackers’ toolkits, including those used in ransomware and targeted intrusion campaigns.
Patch Guidance for HPE OneView and HPE Synergy Composer
Supported versions and upgrade paths
HPE emphasizes that there are no safe workarounds or configuration-only mitigations for CVE-2025-37164. The only effective defense is to upgrade to a fixed version of OneView without delay. Administrators should plan to move to version 11.00 or later, depending on the specific fixes provided by HPE for their deployment.
For environments still running OneView in the 6.60.xx branch, HPE requires a two-step upgrade path: first upgrade to version 7.00, and only then apply the latest security updates leading to a non-vulnerable release. Skipping these intermediate steps can result in upgrade failures or unstable management behavior, which is particularly risky in production data centers.
Do not overlook HPE Synergy Composer images
HPE also highlights the need to update HPE Synergy Composer images. These images rely on OneView functionality and may include the same vulnerable components. Updating only the primary OneView instance while leaving Composer images unpatched can create a false sense of security and leave parts of the environment exposed to exploitation.
Potential Business Impact of an HPE OneView Compromise
An unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in a tool like HPE OneView is particularly dangerous because it sits at the core of infrastructure operations. Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-37164 could allow attackers to:
- Alter server and network configurations, introducing misconfigurations, backdoors, or insecure services.
- Reconfigure or disable storage systems, leading to data unavailability, data loss, or preparation for encryption during a ransomware attack.
- Inject malicious code into deployment templates and images, causing newly provisioned systems to be compromised from the moment they go live.
- Maintain stealthy, long-term persistence by abusing legitimate management workflows to move laterally and hide malicious activity.
Such a compromise can act as a powerful initial access vector for large-scale incidents, from business-wide ransomware outbreaks to targeted attacks on mission-critical workloads. Because management actions appear legitimate in logs, intrusions via infrastructure management platforms are often harder to detect and investigate.
Security Best Practices for Infrastructure Management Tools
Network segmentation and privileged access control
HPE OneView and comparable tools should be placed in isolated, hardened network segments. Access must be restricted to a limited set of administrative workstations, ideally via VPN or dedicated jump servers. This reduces the exposure of the management interface and complicates lateral movement for attackers who compromise user endpoints.
Mature vulnerability and patch management
Organizations should maintain a formalized patch management process for infrastructure management software. This includes accurate version inventories, testing of critical updates in non-production environments, and defined maximum timelines for deploying high-severity patches. For vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-37164, the goal should be to minimize the “window of exposure” between patch release and deployment.
Monitoring, logging, and incident response readiness
Centralized logging from HPE OneView, HPE Synergy Composer, and related components should feed into a SIEM or security analytics platform. Alerting rules need to flag unusual activity, such as bulk configuration changes, atypical firmware operations, or access from unexpected administrative sources. Clear incident response runbooks for management-platform compromises help reduce reaction time and limit damage.
The disclosure of CVE-2025-37164 in HPE OneView reinforces a critical lesson for defenders: infrastructure management tools are Tier‑0 assets and must be protected accordingly. Organizations running HPE OneView should prioritize installing the latest security updates, follow HPE’s upgrade guidance carefully, review access controls around management networks, and strengthen monitoring of all orchestration platforms. Swift action now significantly lowers the likelihood of a high-impact incident and helps preserve both operational continuity and organizational reputation.
