dbcve.org
Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2022-28701

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-05-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
On F5 BIG-IP 16.1.x versions prior to 16.1.2.2, when the stream profile is configured on a virtual server, undisclosed requests can cause an increase in memory resource utilization. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated

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 · moderate confidence

A memory exhaustion vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP 16.1.x versions prior to 16.1.2.2 allows attackers to cause increased memory utilization when the stream profile is configured on a virtual server. Sending specific undisclosed requests to affected virtual servers can trigger excessive memory consumption, potentially leading to denial of service conditions.

MitigationUpgrade F5 BIG-IP to version 16.1.2.2 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, review and consider disabling the stream profile on virtual servers until the patch can be applied.

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:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2= 17.0.0
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Global Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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. Check installed BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or access the BIG-IP configuration utility to view the system version
    Affected if The version is 16.1.0, 16.1.1, or 16.1.2 (or 17.0.0 for DNS module)
  2. Identify virtual servers with stream profile enabled
    Run 'tmsh list ltm virtual one-line' and look for 'stream' profile in the virtual server configuration, or use the configuration utility to review virtual server profiles
    Affected if Any virtual server has a stream profile configured and the BIG-IP version is in the affected range
  3. Review stream profile configuration
    Run 'tmsh list ltm profile stream' to view all stream profiles and their settings across the system
    Affected if Stream profiles exist in the configuration and the BIG-IP version is vulnerable
  4. Monitor memory utilization
    Check current memory usage via 'tmsh show sys memory' or the configuration utility dashboard
    Affected if Memory utilization is abnormally high and correlates with virtual servers using stream profiles in the affected version range

The environment is affected if BIG-IP version is 16.1.0, 16.1.1, or 16.1.2 AND any virtual server has a stream profile configured.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade F5 BIG-IP to version 16.1.2.2 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, review and consider disabling the stream profile on virtual servers until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

BIG-IP 16.1.2.2 or later (including 17.x releases)

  1. 1. Backup the current BIG-IP configuration using the configuration utility or tmsh command: 'tmsh save sys config'
  2. 2. Download BIG-IP version 16.1.2.2 or later from the F5 downloads portal at support.f5.com
  3. 3. Review F5 upgrade documentation for your specific deployment pattern (standalone, HA pair, or cluster)
  4. 4. Upload the ISO image to the BIG-IP system via the configuration utility or SCP
  5. 5. Perform the upgrade following F5 recommended procedures - for HA pairs, upgrade the standby device first, then perform a failover and upgrade the formerly active device
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the stream profile configuration is functioning correctly and memory utilization has returned to normal levels
  7. 7. Confirm the version by checking System > Software Management > Image List in the configuration utility or running 'tmsh show sys version'
Caveat Review F5 release notes for version 16.1.2.2 for any configuration or behavior changes that may affect your deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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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-2022-28701 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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