CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-48008NVD status: Analyzed

BIG-IP: Use After Free

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-48008 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in BIG-IP 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 17.1.2.2, 16.1.6, 15.1.10.8 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 0.44% 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 17.1.2.2 or 16.1.6 or 15.1.10.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Big-ip Access Policy Manager to 15.1.10.8 or 16.1.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager to 15.1.10.8 or 16.1.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on my.f5.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  5. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
F5BIG-IP17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.2.2; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.817.1.2.2, 16.1.6, 15.1.10.8
F5BIG-IP Next SPK1.7.0 and laterNot stated
F5BIG-IP Next CNF1.1.0 and laterNot stated
F5Big-ip Next Cloud-native Network Functions1.1.0 through 1.4.1Not stated
F5Big-ip Next Service Proxy For Kubernetes1.7.0 through 1.9.2Not stated
F5Big-ip Access Policy Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Advanced Web Application Firewall15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Analytics15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Application Security Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Application Visibility And Reporting15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Automation Toolchain15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Carrier-grade Nat15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Container Ingress Services15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Ddos Hybrid Defender15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Domain Name System15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Edge Gateway15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Fraud Protection Service15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Global Traffic Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Link Controller15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Local Traffic Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Policy Enforcement Manager15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip SSL Orchestrator15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6
F5Big-ip Webaccelerator15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.615.1.10.8, 16.1.6

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 1 further products are omitted here. 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 CNA (f5.com).

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 4.08.7HighCNA (f5.com)
CVSS 3.17.5HighCNA (f5.com)

Official description

When a TCP profile with Multipath TCP (MPTCP) enabled is configured on a virtual server, undisclosed traffic along with conditions beyond the attacker's control can cause the Traffic Management Microkernel (TMM) 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: Use After Free

The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
  • When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.

More Use After Free vulnerabilities (CWE-416)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in BIG-IP

All BIG-IP vulnerabilities

Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities

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