CVE-2023-46747
Auth Bypass in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager 13.1.0 – 13.1.5
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-46747 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 0.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2023-46747 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in the F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) configuration utility. It stems from improper handling of certain requests that can evade authentication checks, affecting the management interface exposed via the management port or self IP addresses. The flaw is tracked under CWE-288 and CWE-306 and carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8.
An attacker with network access to the affected interfaces can submit crafted requests to bypass authentication entirely and execute arbitrary system commands on the BIG-IP device. No valid credentials are required, and the attack can be performed remotely without user interaction.
F5 has published mitigation guidance in security article K000137353, which addresses patching and configuration changes for supported versions; end-of-support releases are not covered. Public exploit code is available, and reporting indicates the vulnerability has been incorporated into active exploit chains observed in the wild. The associated EPSS score remains extremely high, with a current value of 0.9444 and a recorded peak of 0.9735.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-50916
Vulnerability Data
Undisclosed requests may bypass configuration utility authentication, allowing an attacker with network access to the BIG-IP system through the management port and/or self IP addresses to execute arbitrary system commands. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support…
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(EoTS) are not evaluated
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 31 October 2023
Related Threats
Threat-Actor AttributionAI
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 13 hardening rules · 4 OS baselines
V6.4.3V6.6.1V12.1.3V6.2.3
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Mandates additional authentication for access under defined conditions, ensuring critical or high-risk functions are not left without authentication.
Identity providers mandate authentication for functions that would otherwise lack it.
Requires authentication for non-organizational users, preventing access to critical functions without proper identification and authentication.
Requires established identification and authentication to unlock, mitigating missing authentication for continued system access.
Requiring identification and rationale for actions allowed without authentication ensures critical functions are not left unprotected by forcing review of authentication requirements.
Authorizing remote access reduces the ability to bypass authentication via unauthorized alternate remote channels.
Authorizing mobile device connections to organizational systems ensures authentication is performed for this critical access function.
Guarantees critical functions are protected by mandatory invocation of the access control mechanism.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Managing identities and credentials is a prerequisite for authentication but does not itself enforce it on critical functions.
Requiring authentication on every channel and path directly eliminates alternate-path bypasses.
Enforcing authorizations and least privilege across all access vectors prevents unauthenticated alternate paths.
Protecting networks and environments from unauthorized logical access blocks bypass via undocumented channels.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
A.5.15 only requires defining a topic-specific access control policy and determining requirements; it does not itself enforce, implement or configure any access rules that would stop an alternate unauthenticated path from being exploitable.
Access rights provisioning and review prevent bypass via unmonitored or alternate channels.
Mandating authentication requirements for critical functions at the requirements-gathering stage ensures that essential operations are not left unprotected by missing login or verification mechanisms.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (3 rules)
- V-248598 There must be no ".shosts" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-288
- V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288, CWE-306
- V-248585 OL 8 must require reauthentication when using the "sudo" command. blocks CWE-306
Oracle Linux 9 (2 rules)
- V-271757 OL 9 file systems must not contain shosts.equiv files. blocks CWE-288
- V-271758 OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 7 (4 rules)
- V-204440 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems version 7.2 or newer using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-288
- V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288, CWE-306
- V-204424 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not allow accounts configured with blank or null passwords. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 8 (2 rules)
- V-230492 RHEL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-306
- V-237643 RHEL 8 must require re-authentication when using the "sudo" command. blocks CWE-306