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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2018-15332

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-12-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 13.1.1 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The svpn component of the F5 BIG-IP APM client prior to version 7.1.7.2 for Linux and macOS runs as a privileged process and can allow an unprivileged user to get ownership of files owned by root on the local client host in a race condition.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The svpn component of F5 BIG-IP APM client for Linux and macOS runs as a privileged (root) process. A race condition vulnerability (likely TOCTOU) allows an unprivileged local user to gain ownership of files owned by root on the local client host, potentially leading to local privilege escalation.

MitigationUpgrade the F5 BIG-IP APM client to version 7.1.7.2 or later on all Linux and macOS systems where the client is installed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.1, <= 11.6.3>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.3>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.1= 14.0.0
Big Ip Access Policy Manager ClientApplication
Affected:>= 7.1.5, <= 7.1.7

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if F5 BIG-IP APM client is installed
    Check your system for the presence of F5 BIG-IP APM client software. On Linux, this may be visible in your package manager or installed applications. On macOS, check /Applications for F5 client components or check LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons for F5-related services.
    Affected if The F5 BIG-IP APM client is not installed on Linux or macOS systems (the vulnerability does not affect other platforms).
  2. Determine the installed APM client version
    Locate and read the version information for the installed F5 BIG-IP APM client. Common methods include: running 'rpm -q' or 'dpkg -l' on Linux, checking the application's Info.plist on macOS, or using the client's built-in version check if available.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these vulnerable ranges: 11.5.1 to 11.6.3, 12.1.0 to 12.1.3, 13.0.0 to 13.1.1, or 14.0.0 (for APM). For the APM Client specifically: version 7.1.5 to 7.1.7.
  3. Verify the operating system is Linux or macOS
    Confirm the operating system where the client is installed. This vulnerability only affects the svpn component on Linux and macOS clients, not Windows.
    Affected if The client is running on Linux or macOS. If only running on Windows, this specific vulnerability does not apply.
  4. Check if svpn component is active or configured
    Examine running processes for the 'svpn' or 'f5' related processes, or check system startup items (systemd services, init scripts on Linux; LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons on macOS) for the svpn component.
    Affected if The svpn component is present and running (or configured to run). The race condition requires the privileged svpn process to be active for exploitation.

You are affected if the F5 BIG-IP APM client is installed on a Linux or macOS system, the svpn component is active or configured to run, and the installed version is within 7.1.5-7.1.7 (APM Client) or 11.5.1-14.0.0 (APM with the specific vulnerable versions listed).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 13.1.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade the F5 BIG-IP APM client to version 7.1.7.2 or later on all Linux and macOS systems where the client is installed.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-15332 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data