CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-43746NVD status: Modified

BIG-IP: Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-43746 is a high-severity privilege defined with unsafe actions vulnerability in BIG-IP from F5, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 16.1.4, 15.1.9 as the first without the flaw, so updating BIG-IP to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.53% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update BIG-IP to 16.1.4 or 15.1.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Big-ip Access Policy Manager to 15.1.9 or 16.1.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager to 15.1.9 or 16.1.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on my.f5.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
F5BIG-IP16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.4; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 14.1.0 and later; 13.1.0 and later16.1.4, 15.1.9
F5Big-ip Access Policy Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Application Security Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Domain Name System13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Local Traffic Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Advanced Web Application Firewall13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Analytics13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Application Visibility And Reporting13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Carrier-grade Nat13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Ddos Hybrid Defender13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Fraud Protection Service13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Global Traffic Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Link Controller13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Policy Enforcement Manager13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip SSL Orchestrator13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Webaccelerator13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4
F5Big-ip Websafe13.1.0 through 14.1.5; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.9; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.415.1.9, 16.1.4

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
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by CNA (f5.com).

Official description

When running in Appliance mode, an authenticated user assigned the Administrator role may be able to bypass Appliance mode restrictions, utilizing BIG-IP external monitor on a BIG-IP system. A successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary. 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: Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

A particular privilege, role, capability, or right can be used to perform unsafe actions that were not intended, even when it is assigned to the correct entity.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.

More Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerabilities (CWE-267)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in BIG-IP

All BIG-IP vulnerabilities

Recent Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerabilities

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