On January 25, 2022, a vulnerability was disclosed affecting F5 BIG-IP versions 15.1.x before 15.1.4, 14.1.x before 14.1.4.4, and earlier versions including 13.1.x (from 13.1.3.6), 12.1.5.3-12.1.6, and 11.6.5.2. This vulnerability allows for service disruption when a FastL4 profile is combined with HTTP, FIX, and/or hash persistence profiles on the same virtual server. Undisclosed requests can cause the virtual server to cease processing new client connections, potentially leading to significant service interruptions.
The urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability cannot be understated. The impact is particularly relevant for those utilizing affected products, including the F5 BIG-IP access policy manager, advanced firewall manager, and others. The potential for service disruption is significant, and delay in remediation could lead to operational challenges.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of this vulnerability indicates that it arises when certain profiles are improperly configured on a virtual server. Specifically, the issue relates to the interaction of FastL4 profiles with HTTP, FIX, and hash persistence profiles. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-697, which pertains to incorrect handling of requests.F5 has identified this vulnerability as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring the security and stability of its products. The affected versions include critical components that are widely used in enterprise environments.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of the vulnerability stems from the interaction of different configuration profiles on the same virtual server. When the FastL4 profile is used in conjunction with HTTP, FIX, or hash persistence profiles, it leads to a failure in processing new client connections. This flaw arises due to the way the system manages incoming requests, causing a halt in service availability.Attacks exploiting this vulnerability can occur over the network, and they do not require any user interaction or privileges. The attack complexity is low, making exploitation straightforward for potential attackers.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The risk to organizations includes potential service disruptions, which can affect user experience and operational continuity. The blast radius includes any services relying on the affected virtual server configurations.The urgency for remediation is assessed as medium, given the moderate CVSS score. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability to mitigate any potential risks.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions include: BIG-IP Access Policy Manager versions 15.1.x before 15.1.4, 14.1.x before 14.1.4.4, and 13.1.x from 13.1.3.6, along with 12.1.5.3-12.1.6. Other impacted components include the Advanced Firewall Manager, Advanced Web Application Firewall, and several others.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should address this vulnerability by upgrading to the latest versions of the affected components. As a priority, organizations using the affected versions should implement the necessary patches available from F5. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider applying configuration changes to remove the conflicting profiles until a patch can be applied.For further assistance, organizations may consider engaging in penetration testing to verify the effectiveness of the mitigations implemented.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for anomalous patterns, particularly those related to connection attempts and profile configurations. Additionally, observing behavioral anomalies in server responses may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
This vulnerability exemplifies the ongoing challenges organizations face in securing complex web application infrastructures. The interaction between different service profiles can introduce unforeseen vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of comprehensive security assessments.Organizations should consider adopting a proactive approach to security by integrating regular security assessments and reviews into their development lifecycle. Such practices will help in identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.For in-depth analysis of vulnerability management, organizations can refer to our vulnerability management program guidelines.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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