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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-22283

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.2.3.1 / 17.0.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
65/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 versions beginning in 7.1.5 to before 7.2.3.1, a DLL hijacking vulnerability exists in the BIG-IP Edge Client for Windows. User interaction and administrative privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability because the victim user needs to run the executable on the system and the attacker requires administrative privileges for modifying the files in the trusted search path. 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 DLL hijacking vulnerability in BIG-IP Edge Client for Windows versions 7.1.5 through 7.2.3.0 allows an attacker with administrative privileges to place malicious DLL files in the trusted search path. When a victim user runs the application, the vulnerable client loads these attacker-controlled DLLs instead of the legitimate ones, potentially leading to code execution in the context of the logged-in user.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP Edge Client for Windows to version 7.2.3.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, ensure strict file system permissions to prevent unauthorized modification of application directories.

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:>= 7.2.2, < 7.2.3.1>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.8>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip EdgeWeb browser
Affected:all versions

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
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/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 BIG-IP Edge Client is installed
    Check for the presence of F5 BIG-IP Edge Client on the Windows system. Common installation paths include C:\Program Files\F5 Networks\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\F5 Networks\. Look for folders named 'BIG-IP Edge Client' or similar F5 client software.
    Affected if The software is present on the system
  2. Find the installed version
    Locate the version information for the installed BIG-IP Edge Client. Check the file properties of the main executable (typically edgeclient.exe or f5epg.exe) by right-clicking and selecting Properties, or use command: dir /s /b 'C:\Program Files\F5 Networks\*.exe' to list executables, then check each for version info.
    Affected if The version cannot be determined or is below the fixed version 7.2.3.1
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    If the version is found, compare it against the affected ranges: 7.1.5 through 7.2.3.0. Also note that 'F5 Big Ip Edge' is listed as affected for ALL versions. Check both the Access Policy Manager version (via iControl REST or the management console) and the Edge Client version.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 7.1.5 to 7.2.3.0, or is any version of 'F5 Big Ip Edge' client
  4. Inspect application directory for unauthorized DLLs
    Examine the BIG-IP Edge Client installation directory for unexpected or recently added DLL files that are not part of the standard installation. Check for DLLs with timestamps different from the original installation date, or DLLs in the application folder that are not listed in the official installation manifest.
    Affected if Unexpected DLL files exist in the application directory that could be malicious hijacked libraries
  5. Check file system permissions on the application directory
    Review file system permissions on the BIG-IP Edge Client installation directory to determine if non-privileged users or attacker-controlled accounts could write to this location. Use icacls command on the installation directory.
    Affected if Write permissions are granted to users or groups other than Administrators, which would allow DLL placement

A system is affected if BIG-IP Edge Client for Windows is installed with a version between 7.1.5 and 7.2.3.0, or any version of F5 Big Ip Edge, and unauthorized DLL files exist in or can be written to the application directory.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.2.3.1 / 17.0.0.2 or later
Fixed in 7.2.3.117.0.0.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade BIG-IP Edge Client for Windows to version 7.2.3.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, ensure strict file system permissions to prevent unauthorized modification of application directories.

Recommended fix High confidence

BIG-IP Edge Client 7.2.3.1 or later; BIG-IP APM 7.2.3.1 / 13.1.5.1 / 14.1.5.1 / 15.1.8.1

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed BIG-IP Edge Client version on Windows systems.
  2. 2. Navigate to the F5 Downloads portal at https://downloads.f5.com/ or access my.f5.com for the fixed release.
  3. 3. Download BIG-IP Edge Client version 7.2.3.1 or later for Windows.
  4. 4. Backup current Edge Client configuration if applicable.
  5. 5. Uninstall the current BIG-IP Edge Client from affected Windows systems.
  6. 6. Install the updated BIG-IP Edge Client version 7.2.3.1 or later.
  7. 7. Verify the installation was successful and the client functions properly.
  8. 8. For BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, apply the corresponding hotfix or upgrade to 7.2.3.1, 13.1.5.1, 14.1.5.1, or 15.1.8.1 as applicable to your deployment.
Caveat Upgrade to new minor versions may require compatibility testing with existing VPN configurations and policies; ensure backup of configuration before upgrading

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
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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-2023-22283 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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