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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2023-43746

HIGH · 8.7 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 →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
When running in Appliance mode, an authenticated user assigned the Administrator role may be able to bypass Appliance mode restrictions, utilizing BIG-IP external monitor on a BIG-IP system.  A successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary.  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

In F5 BIG-IP Appliance mode (which restricts certain system access for security hardening), an authenticated user with Administrator privileges can bypass Appliance mode restrictions by leveraging the BIG-IP external monitor functionality, allowing the attacker to cross a security boundary.

MitigationApply the F5 software update addressing CVE-2023-43746 and review Administrator role assignments and external monitor configurations to ensure compliance with Appliance mode security policies.

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, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Local Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 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, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 14.1.5>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.9>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.4
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, <= 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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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. Determine the installed BIG-IP version
    Use the command-line interface or management console to retrieve the system version. This is typically accessible via 'tmsh show /sys version' or through the web interface under System > Software > Image.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the following ranges: 13.1.0 through 14.1.5, 15.1.0 through 15.1.9, or 16.1.0 through 16.1.4.
  2. Verify if Appliance mode is enabled
    Check the system configuration for Appliance mode status. This setting is typically found in the system security settings or appliance mode configuration area of the BIG-IP management interface.
    Affected if Appliance mode is currently enabled on the system, as this CVE specifically targets the bypass of Appliance mode restrictions.
  3. Identify external monitor configurations
    Review the list of external monitors defined in the BIG-IP configuration. External monitors are typically managed under Local Traffic > Monitors in the management interface or via tmsh command.
    Affected if One or more external monitors are configured, as this functionality is leveraged as the attack vector to bypass Appliance mode restrictions.
  4. Review Administrator role assignments
    Examine the user account roles and privileges assigned in the BIG-IP Access Policy Manager or system user management. Focus on identifying accounts with Administrator-level access.
    Affected if There are user accounts with Administrator privileges, particularly those that could leverage the external monitor functionality to bypass Appliance mode restrictions.

A system is affected by this CVE if it runs a version within 13.1.0-14.1.5, 15.1.0-15.1.9, or 16.1.0-16.1.4 AND has Appliance mode enabled AND has external monitors configured, allowing an authenticated Administrator to potentially bypass Appliance mode restrictions.

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

Apply the F5 software update addressing CVE-2023-43746 and review Administrator role assignments and external monitor configurations to ensure compliance with Appliance mode security policies.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to 15.1.9+ (if on 15.1.x branch) or 16.1.4+ (if on 16.1.x branch); for older branches, upgrade to a supported version within 15.1.x or 16.1.x

  1. Identify the current Big IP version by checking System > Software Management > Image List or using 'tmsh show sys version'
  2. Determine which version branch (15.1.x or 16.1.x) you are currently running
  3. Plan upgrade: if on 14.1.x or lower branch, upgrade to 15.1.9 or later; if on 15.1.x, upgrade to 15.1.9 or later; if on 16.1.x, upgrade to 16.1.4 or later
  4. Download the appropriate Hotfix (HF) or Service Pack from F5 Downloads (my.f5.com) for your version branch
  5. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment first
  6. Create a backup of the current configuration using 'tmsh save sys config'
  7. Perform the upgrade following F5 upgrade documentation - typically via System > Software Management > ISO Image or using 'tmsh install sys software'
  8. Verify the upgrade completed successfully and the Appliance mode bypass is no longer present
Caveat Review F5 release notes for any configuration changes or deprecated features between your current version and target version; test thoroughly in staging 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
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-43746 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