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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-3470

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.1.4 / 14.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
66/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Specific F5 BIG-IP platforms with Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM cards generate a deterministic password for the Crypto User account.  The predictable nature of the password allows an authenticated user with TMSH access to the BIG-IP system, or anyone with physical access to the FIPS HSM, the information required to generate the correct password.  On vCMP systems, all Guests share the same deterministic password, allowing those with TMSH access on one Guest to access keys of a different Guest. The following BIG-IP hardware platforms are affected: 10350v-F, i5820-DF, i7820-DF, i15820-DF, 5250v-F, 7200v-F, 10200v-F, 6900-F, 8900-F, 11000-F, and 11050-F. The BIG-IP rSeries r5920-DF and r10920-DF are not affected, nor does the issue affect software FIPS implementations or network HSM configurations. 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

F5 BIG-IP platforms with Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM cards generate a deterministic password for the Crypto User account, making it predictable based on known information. An authenticated user with TMSH access or anyone with physical access to the FIPS HSM can derive the password. On vCMP systems, all Guests share the same deterministic password, enabling cross-Guest key access.

MitigationApply F5 firmware updates for affected platforms. For vCMP environments, ensure strict TMSH access controls between guests and consider physical security measures for the HSM hardware. Network isolation of HSM management interfaces is recommended.

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, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0
Big Ip Carrier Grade NatApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.4>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4= 15.1.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

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 FIPS HSM hardware
    Run 'tmsh show sys hardware' or check the F5 management console for Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM card presence in the system inventory
    Affected if A Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM card is installed in the BIG-IP device
  2. Verify BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or check the F5 management interface for the installed version number
    Affected if The version falls within 13.1.0-13.1.3, 14.1.0-14.1.3, or equals 15.1.0
  3. Determine if vCMP is in use
    Run 'tmsh show vcmp info' to check if the system is running as a virtualized clustered management platform
    Affected if vCMP is enabled and multiple guests are deployed on the same host
  4. Inspect Crypto User account status
    Access the FIPS HSM administrative interface via TMSH command 'tmsh modify /sys crypto' or use the HSM management software to list user accounts, focusing on the Crypto User account
    Affected if A Crypto User account exists and was not manually reconfigured with a unique password after initial setup
  5. Check for HSM password changes
    Review HSM configuration logs or audit records for any 'modify user' or 'set user' commands related to the Crypto User account
    Affected if No evidence exists of the Crypto User password being changed from its default deterministic value

A system is affected if it has a Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM card, runs a vulnerable BIG-IP version (13.1.0-13.1.3, 14.1.0-14.1.3, or 15.1.0), and the Crypto User password has not been changed to a unique non-deterministic value, with heightened risk on vCMP deployments.

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 13.1.4 / 14.1.4 or later
Fixed in 13.1.414.1.4
Interim mitigation

Apply F5 firmware updates for affected platforms. For vCMP environments, ensure strict TMSH access controls between guests and consider physical security measures for the HSM hardware. Network isolation of HSM management interfaces is recommended.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to BIG-IP 13.1.4+ / 14.1.4+ / 15.1.1+ (specific version per track)

  1. 1. Identify the BIG-IP model to determine if it has a Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM card (affected models: 10350v-F, i5820-DF, i7820-DF, i15820-DF, 5250v-F, 7200v-F, 10200v-F, 6900-F, 8900-F, 11000-F, 11050-F).
  2. 2. Identify the currently running BIG-IP version using the web UI (System > Software Management > ISO Image) or TMSH command: 'tmsh show /sys version'.
  3. 3. If running version 13.1.0-13.1.3, 14.1.0-14.1.3, or 15.1.0 on affected hardware, plan for an upgrade to the fixed version.
  4. 4. Download the fixed BIG-IP version from F5 Downloads (my.f5.com): upgrade to 13.1.4 or later for 13.x tracks, 14.1.4 or later for 14.x tracks, or 15.1.1 or later for 15.x tracks.
  5. 5. Follow F5 upgrade documentation to perform the upgrade: https://cdn.f5.com/webservices/support/upgrade/ (or current F5 upgrade guide).
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the HSM Crypto User password is no longer deterministic by checking the HSM configuration in TMSH: 'list /sys crypto fips'.
Caveat Review F5 release notes for any compatibility notes between major versions; vCMP guests may need recreation if migrating between major versions.

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
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
42.0 hours of engineering $7,360
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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-2023-3470 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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