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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2022-28708

MEDIUM · 5.9 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 →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 and 15.1.x versions prior to 15.1.5.1, when a BIG-IP DNS resolver-enabled, HTTP-Explicit or SOCKS profile is configured on a virtual server, an undisclosed DNS response can cause the Traffic Management Microkernel (TMM) process to terminate. 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 · high confidence

A denial of service vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP allows remote attackers to cause TMM (Traffic Management Microkernel) process termination via a specially crafted DNS response when a DNS resolver-enabled, HTTP-Explicit, or SOCKS profile is configured on a virtual server.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP to version 16.1.2.2 or 15.1.5.1 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling affected profiles (HTTP-Explicit, SOCKS, or DNS resolver) on virtual servers as a temporary workaround.

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:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 16.1.0= 16.1.1= 16.1.2
Big Ip Global Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:= 15.1.0= 15.1.1= 15.1.2= 15.1.3= 15.1.4= 15.1.5= 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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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 BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show /sys version' or view the System > Software Management > Software Images page in the GUI
    Affected if The installed version is 15.1.0, 15.1.1, 15.1.2, 15.1.3, 15.1.4, 15.1.5, 16.1.0, 16.1.1, or 16.1.2
  2. Identify virtual servers with DNS resolver profiles
    Run 'tmsh list ltm virtual profiles' and look for 'dns' profile references, or check each virtual server's configuration via 'tmsh list ltm virtual <name> profiles'
    Affected if Any virtual server has a DNS resolver profile assigned
  3. Identify virtual servers with HTTP-Explicit profiles
    Run 'tmsh list ltm virtual <name>' for each virtual server and inspect the profiles section for 'http-explicit'
    Affected if Any virtual server has an HTTP-Explicit profile enabled
  4. Identify virtual servers with SOCKS profiles
    Run 'tmsh list ltm virtual <name>' and inspect the profiles section for 'socks' profile references
    Affected if Any virtual server has a SOCKS profile enabled

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is 15.1.0-15.1.5 or 16.1.0-16.1.2 AND any virtual server has a DNS resolver, HTTP-Explicit, or SOCKS profile configured and exposed to untrusted network traffic.

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 BIG-IP to version 16.1.2.2 or 15.1.5.1 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling affected profiles (HTTP-Explicit, SOCKS, or DNS resolver) on virtual servers as a temporary workaround.

Recommended fix High confidence

F5 BIG-IP 15.1.5.1 or later (or 16.1.2.2 or later for 16.1.x installations)

  1. 1. Review the BIG-IP release notes for version 15.1.5.1 (or 16.1.2.2 for 16.1.x installations) to understand new features, resolved issues, and any migration considerations
  2. 2. Create a full backup of the BIG-IP configuration using the Configuration Utility or tmsh command: 'tmsh save sys config partitions all'
  3. 3. Schedule a maintenance window as the upgrade may cause brief service interruption
  4. 4. Download the appropriate Hotfix (HF) or ISO image for your version from the F5 Networks downloads portal at https://downloads.f5.com/
  5. 5. Upload the upgrade image to the BIG-IP system via the Configuration Utility or SCP
  6. 6. Install the Hotfix or perform the upgrade using the Configuration Utility (System > Software Management > ISO Image) or via tmsh
  7. 7. After installation, verify the version by checking System > Overview in the Configuration Utility or running 'tmsh show sys version'
  8. 8. Test that DNS resolution and affected virtual servers with HTTP-Explicit or SOCKS profiles function correctly
Caveat Review F5 release notes for version 15.1.5.1 for any configuration or behavior changes; some features may have compatibility considerations

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
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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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-2022-28708 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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