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Big Iq Centralized ManagementApplication · F5

CVE-2023-43485

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng / 8.3.0.0.12.118-eng or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
When TACACS+ audit forwarding is configured on BIG-IP or BIG-IQ system, sharedsecret is logged in plaintext in the audit log.  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

When TACACS+ audit forwarding is configured on F5 BIG-IP or BIG-IQ systems, the TACACS+ shared secret credentials are being written in plaintext to the audit logs, allowing anyone with log access to obtain the sensitive authentication secret.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of BIG-IP or BIG-IQ that does not log the shared secret in plaintext, and rotate any exposed TACACS+ shared secrets immediately. Review log access controls to limit exposure.

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 Iq Centralized ManagementApplication
Affected:>= 8.0.0, < 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng>= 8.3.0, < 8.3.0.0.12.118-eng
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 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 Domain Name SystemApplication
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 Local Traffic 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

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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. Check if TACACS+ audit forwarding is configured
    Run 'tmsh list /sys audit' or check the BIG-IP GUI under System > Logs > Audit. Look for any tacacs or forwarding configuration entries.
    Affected if TACACS+ audit forwarding is enabled and configured on the system
  2. Identify the installed BIG-IP or BIG-IQ version
    Run 'tmsh show /sys version' on BIG-IP, or check System > Overview > Software Version in BIG-IQ Centralized Management GUI.
    Affected if The version falls within any of the listed vulnerable ranges (BIG-IQ: >=8.0.0 to <8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng or >=8.3.0 to <8.3.0.0.12.118-eng; BIG-IP modules: 13.1.0-13.1.5, 14.1.0-14.1.5, 15.1.0-15.1.8, 16.1.0-16.1.3)
  3. Examine audit logs for plaintext TACACS+ shared secrets
    Search /var/log/audit or the configured audit log destination for patterns matching the shared secret value. Look for log entries containing the literal secret string used for TACACS+ authentication.
    Affected if Log entries contain plaintext TACACS+ shared secret credentials

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable BIG-IP or BIG-IQ version AND has TACACS+ audit forwarding configured, resulting in plaintext secrets appearing in audit logs.

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 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng / 8.3.0.0.12.118-eng / 15.1.9 or later
Fixed in 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng8.3.0.0.12.118-eng15.1.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of BIG-IP or BIG-IQ that does not log the shared secret in plaintext, and rotate any exposed TACACS+ shared secrets immediately. Review log access controls to limit exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

BIG-IP: 15.1.9+ or 16.1.4+ (depending on branch); BIG-IQ: 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng or 8.3.0.0.12.118-eng

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP or BIG-IQ version by checking System > Software Management > Images (or using 'tmsh show sys version' command)
  2. 2. Determine the appropriate target version based on your current major version branch
  3. 3. For BIG-IP 13.1.x: Upgrade to version 13.1.5 or later (note: versions up to and including 13.1.5 are affected, so verify specific fixed build)
  4. 4. For BIG-IP 14.1.x: Upgrade to version 14.1.5 or later
  5. 5. For BIG-IP 15.1.x: Upgrade to version 15.1.9 or later
  6. 6. For BIG-IP 16.1.x: Upgrade to version 16.1.4 or later
  7. 7. For BIG-IQ 8.0.x-8.2.x: Upgrade to version 8.2.0.1.0.13.97-eng or later
  8. 8. For BIG-IQ 8.3.x: Upgrade to version 8.3.0.0.12.118-eng or later
Caveat Upgrading between major versions may introduce configuration or compatibility changes; review F5 release notes before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Big Iq Centralized Management Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2023-43485 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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