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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-38138

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.1.5.5 / 15.1.9.1 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
A reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility which allows an attacker to run JavaScript in the context of the currently logged-in user.  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 reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility. This allows an attacker to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by an authenticated user, execute arbitrary JavaScript in the user's browser context, potentially stealing session cookies or performing actions on behalf of the user.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade BIG-IP to a version beyond the affected release. Until patched, restrict access to the Configuration utility to trusted networks only and monitor for suspicious URL patterns.

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, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2
Big Ip Carrier Grade NatApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.5.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9.1>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.3.5>= 17.0.0, < 17.1.0.2

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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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 BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or check the Configuration utility login page footer for the version number
    Affected if The installed version falls within 13.1.0-13.1.5, 14.1.0-14.1.5.4, 15.1.0-15.1.9.0, 16.1.0-16.1.3.4, or 17.0.0-17.1.0.1
  2. Confirm Configuration utility is accessible
    Check whether the BIG-IP Configuration utility (typically port 443 or 8443) is exposed to network access using 'tmsh list sys httpd' or by reviewing firewall policies
    Affected if The Configuration utility listens on an externally accessible interface or is reachable from untrusted networks
  3. Verify authentication is required
    Confirm that the Configuration utility requires authentication by attempting access or reviewing access profile settings in Access Policy Manager
    Affected if The Configuration utility does not require authentication (which would be a more severe finding, but this vulnerability specifically requires an authenticated session)
  4. Review exposed URLs and logs
    Inspect Configuration utility access logs for unusual URL patterns containing script tags or encoded characters in parameters, and review any proxy or WAF logs for XSS attempt signatures
    Affected if Suspicious crafted URLs with reflected parameters are found in logs or the utility is accessible without additional network segmentation

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is within the listed ranges AND the Configuration utility is network-accessible to users who could be targeted with malicious links.

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 14.1.5.5 / 15.1.9.1 / 16.1.3.5 or later
Fixed in 14.1.5.515.1.9.116.1.3.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade BIG-IP to a version beyond the affected release. Until patched, restrict access to the Configuration utility to trusted networks only and monitor for suspicious URL patterns.

Recommended fix High confidence

14.1.5.5+ (14.1.x branch) | 15.1.9.1+ (15.1.x branch) | 16.1.3.5+ (16.1.x branch) - select the latest available release in your version branch

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP version by navigating to System > Software Management > Image List or running 'tmsh show sys version'
  2. 2. Determine which version branch your current installation falls into (13.1.x, 14.1.x, 15.1.x, or 16.1.x)
  3. 3. Download the appropriate fixed version from F5 Downloads: For 14.1.x branch, upgrade to 14.1.5.5 or later; For 15.1.x branch, upgrade to 15.1.9.1 or later; For 16.1.x branch, upgrade to 16.1.3.5 or later
  4. 4. Review F5 K1354233 for complete upgrade procedures and prerequisites
  5. 5. Perform a pre-upgrade backup of the configuration using 'tmsh save sys config'
  6. 6. Upload the new software image and install via Traffic Management Shell (tmsh) or Web UI
  7. 7. After installation, reboot the device and verify the new version is running
  8. 8. Confirm the XSS vulnerability is remediated by testing the affected configuration utility page
Caveat Review F5 release notes for any compatibility notes; ensure adequate maintenance window as upgrades may require brief downtime; test in staging environment 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
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-38138 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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