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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-41964

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.1.9 / 16.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
The BIG-IP and BIG-IQ systems do not encrypt some sensitive information written to Database (DB) variables.  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

F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ systems store certain sensitive data in unencrypted form within database variables, potentially exposing this data to unauthorized access with network adjacency requirements. The exact sensitive information affected and complete exploitation details are not fully specified in the available description.

MitigationReview database access controls and audit logs for unauthorized access to sensitive DB variables. Apply available F5 patches and implement additional compensating controls such as network segmentation and strict access controls until official fixes are deployed.

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>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Carrier Grade NatApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.5>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 installed BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or check the BIG-IP web console System > About page for the exact version number
    Affected if The version falls within 13.1.0-13.1.5, 14.1.0-14.1.5, 15.1.0-15.1.8, or 16.1.0-16.1.3
  2. Determine enabled BIG-IP modules
    Run 'tmsh list sys module' to list all installed and enabled modules such as APM, AFM, ASM, Analytics, AAM, AVR, or CGNAT
    Affected if Any of the following modules are enabled: Access Policy Manager, Advanced Firewall Manager, Advanced Web Application Firewall, Analytics, Application Acceleration Manager, Application Security Manager, Application Visibility and Reporting, or Carrier Grade NAT
  3. Verify database encryption configuration
    Inspect the internal database variables for sensitive data storage. Use 'tmsh show sys db' or access the underlying database configuration to review whether encryption is enabled for sensitive database variables
    Affected if Sensitive database variables are found to be stored in unencrypted or plaintext form
  4. Review database access controls
    Check database access control lists and user permissions for database access. Run 'tmsh list auth user' and review database access policies to determine who can query internal database variables
    Affected if Users or roles with network adjacency can access sensitive database variables without proper encryption-based restrictions

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is within the listed ranges AND you have any of the affected modules enabled, with sensitive data stored unencrypted in database variables accessible via network adjacency.

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 15.1.9 / 16.1.4 or later
Fixed in 15.1.916.1.4
Interim mitigation

Review database access controls and audit logs for unauthorized access to sensitive DB variables. Apply available F5 patches and implement additional compensating controls such as network segmentation and strict access controls until official fixes are deployed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to BIG-IP 15.1.9+ (for 15.1.x branch) or 16.1.4+ (for 16.1.x branch); older branches (13.1.x, 14.1.x) should migrate to a supported fixed version

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed BIG-IP version using 'tmsh show sys version' or the web management console.
  2. 2. Based on your current version branch, plan the upgrade path: if on 13.1.x or 14.1.x, upgrade to a supported later branch (15.1.9+ or 16.1.4+); if on 15.1.x, upgrade to 15.1.9 or later; if on 16.1.x, upgrade to 16.1.4 or later.
  3. 3. Review F5 release notes and upgrade guides for the target version at support.f5.com to understand prerequisites and procedure.
  4. 4. Perform a full backup of the BIG-IP configuration before upgrading.
  5. 5. Download the target version ISO from F5 Downloads (my.f5.com) and upload to the BIG-IP system.
  6. 6. Follow F5 upgrade procedure: boot from the ISO or use the upgrade wizard in the web management console, or use 'tmsh install sys software' with the uploaded volume.
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the system is operational and confirm sensitive DB variables are now encrypted as part of the security fix.
  8. 8. Validate that all critical services and access policies are functioning correctly post-upgrade.
Caveat Upgrading between major versions may introduce configuration or compatibility changes; review F5 release notes for breaking changes in the target version

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
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
Get the upgrade done

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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-2023-41964 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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