BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, and APM: NULL Pointer Dereference
CVE-2022-29491 is a high-severity NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, and APM from F5, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 16.1.2.2, 15.1.5, 14.1.4.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, and APM to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.93% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 61% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, and APM to 16.1.2.2 or 15.1.5 or 14.1.4.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on support.f5.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| F5 | BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, and APM | 13.1.x; 12.1.x; 11.6.x; 16.1.x up to, but not including, 16.1.2.2; 15.1.x up to, but not including, 15.1.5; 14.1.x up to, but not including, 14.1.4.6 | 16.1.2.2, 15.1.5, 14.1.4.6 |
| F5 | Big-ip Access Policy Manager | 11.6.1; 11.6.2; 11.6.3; 11.6.4; 11.6.5; 12.1.0; 12.1.1; 12.1.2; and 23 more ranges | Not stated |
| F5 | Big-ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | 11.6.1; 11.6.2; 11.6.3; 11.6.4; 11.6.5; 12.1.0; 12.1.1; 12.1.2; and 23 more ranges | Not stated |
| F5 | Big-ip Application Security Manager | 11.6.1; 11.6.2; 11.6.3; 11.6.4; 11.6.5; 12.1.0; 12.1.1; 12.1.2; and 23 more ranges | Not stated |
| F5 | Big-ip Local Traffic Manager | 11.6.1; 11.6.2; 11.6.3; 11.6.4; 11.6.5; 12.1.0; 12.1.1; 12.1.2; and 23 more ranges | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | CNA (f5.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 2.0 | 5.0 | Medium | NVD |
Official description
On F5 BIG-IP LTM, Advanced WAF, ASM, or APM 16.1.x versions prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.x versions prior to 15.1.5, 14.1.x versions prior to 14.1.4.6, and all versions of 13.1.x, 12.1.x, and 11.6.x, when a virtual server is configured with HTTP, TCP on one side (client/server), and DTLS on the other (server/client), undisclosed requests can cause the TMM process to terminate. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: NULL Pointer Dereference
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any pointers that could have been modified or provided from a function that can return NULL, check the pointer for NULL before use. When working with a multithreaded or otherwise asynchronous environment, ensure that proper locking APIs are used to lock before the check, and unlock when it has finished.
- Select a programming language that is not susceptible to these issues.
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is non-null before acting upon it.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Recent NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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