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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-22323

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.1.5.3 / 15.1.8.1 or later.
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
In BIP-IP versions 17.0.x before 17.0.0.2, 16.1.x before 16.1.3.3, 15.1.x before 15.1.8.1, 14.1.x before 14.1.5.3, and all versions of 13.1.x, when OCSP authentication profile is configured on a virtual server, undisclosed requests can cause an increase in CPU 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 · high confidence

This is a denial-of-service vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP where specific requests to virtual servers with OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) authentication profiles configured can trigger excessive CPU consumption. The vulnerability is network-exploitable, requires no authentication, and allows attackers to potentially render services unavailable through resource exhaustion.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP to version 17.0.0.2, 16.1.3.3, 15.1.8.1, or 14.1.5.3 respectively. For 13.1.x (EoTS), upgrade to a supported version. Alternatively, if OCSP authentication is not required, remove the OCSP authentication profile from affected virtual servers.

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:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip Ddos Hybrid DefenderApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.3>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.8.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.3>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.0.2

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. Determine BIG-IP version
    Run command: tmsh show /sys version or check the BIG-IP login splash page for the version number
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 13.1.0-13.1.5, 14.1.0-14.1.5.2, 15.1.0-15.1.8.0, 16.1.0-16.1.3.2, or 17.0.0-17.0.0.1
  2. Identify virtual servers with client SSL profiles
    Run command: tmsh list /ltm virtual where profiles contains clientssl
    Affected if Any virtual servers exist that reference client SSL profiles
  3. Check client SSL profiles for OCSP configuration
    Run command: tmsh list /ltm profile client-ssl all-properties | grep -i ocsp
    Affected if Any client SSL profile has an OCSP responder configured (ocsp-responder name is set)
  4. Verify OCSP authentication profiles are attached to virtual servers
    For each virtual server identified, run: tmsh list /ltm virtual <virtual_name> and inspect the profiles section for OCSP-related client SSL profiles
    Affected if Any virtual server has a client SSL profile with OCSP enabled attached to it

If the BIG-IP version is within the affected ranges AND a virtual server has an OCSP authentication profile configured, the environment is vulnerable to this DoS flaw.

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 14.1.5.3 / 15.1.8.1 / 16.1.3.3 or later
Fixed in 14.1.5.315.1.8.116.1.3.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade BIG-IP to version 17.0.0.2, 16.1.3.3, 15.1.8.1, or 14.1.5.3 respectively. For 13.1.x (EoTS), upgrade to a supported version. Alternatively, if OCSP authentication is not required, remove the OCSP authentication profile from affected virtual servers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to 14.1.5.3 (for 14.1.x), 15.1.8.1 (for 15.1.x), 16.1.3.3 (for 16.1.x), or 17.0.0.2 (for 17.0.x). Note: 13.1.x is End of Technical Support and no patch is available; migrate to a supported version.

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP version by running 'tmsh show sys version' or checking the web UI.
  2. 2. Determine which BIG-IP module(s) are affected: Access Policy Manager (APM), Application Security Manager (ASM), or others with OCSP authentication profiles configured.
  3. 3. Identify virtual servers configured with OCSP authentication profiles: go to Local Traffic > Virtual Servers > click each virtual server > Access Policy > Authentication > verify OCSP is configured.
  4. 4. Back up the current BIG-IP configuration using 'tmsh save sys config' or via the web UI (System > Archives > Create).
  5. 5. Plan maintenance window as upgrade requires brief service interruption.
  6. 6. Download the appropriate hotfix from F5Networks support portal based on your current major version (14.1.5.3, 15.1.8.1, 16.1.3.3, or 17.0.0.2).
  7. 7. Upload and install the hotfix via 'tmsh install sys software hotfix' or through the web UI (Software Management > Hotfix > Upload).
  8. 8. Reboot the BIG-IP device to apply changes.
Caveat Upgrading across major versions (e.g., 13.1.x to 14.1.x) may require configuration review and compatibility testing. Ensure custom iRules and profiles are compatible with the target version before production 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
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2023-22323 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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