Security Resilience

CVE-2023-46748

SQLi in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager 13.1.0 – 13.1.5

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCSQLi
Published
26 October 2023
Modified
27 October 2025
KEV Added
31 October 2023
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.045 91th percentile
Risk Priority 90 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-46748 is a high-severity SQL Injection (CWE-89) vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Protocol or Service Impersonation (T1001.003); ranked in the top 9% 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.

An authenticated SQL injection vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-46748 affects the BIG-IP Configuration utility. The flaw, assigned CWE-89 and carrying a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8, resides in F5 BIG-IP software and permits an attacker who already possesses valid credentials and network reachability to the management interface to execute arbitrary system commands.

An authenticated attacker with network access to the Configuration utility through the BIG-IP management port or self IP addresses can leverage the injection to run operating-system commands on the affected device. The attack requires no user interaction and can be performed remotely once the attacker has obtained valid credentials.

F5 has published remediation guidance under article K000137365, and the vulnerability appears in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. A companion report notes that the issue has been observed in active exploit chains. The associated EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0435 since disclosure, indicating steady but not sharply increasing exploitation interest.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An authenticated SQL injection vulnerability exists in the BIG-IP Configuration utility which may allow an authenticated attacker with network access to the Configuration utility through the BIG-IP management port and/or self IP addresses to execute arbitrary system commands. Note: Software…

more

versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated

CWE(s)
CWE-89
KEV Date Added
31 October 2023

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-23603Same product: F5 Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall
CVE-2024-26026Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2024-21793Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2021-20016Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2021-42258Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2018-7841Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2019-12989Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2016-2386Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2023-34362Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2020-29574Shared CWE-89both on KEV

Affected Assets

f5
big-ip access policy manager
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip advanced firewall manager
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip carrier-grade nat
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip ddos hybrid defender
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip ssl orchestrator
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip local traffic manager
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip policy enforcement manager
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip automation toolchain
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip container ingress services
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
f5
big-ip advanced web application firewall
13.1.0 — 13.1.5 · 14.1.0 — 14.1.5 · 15.1.0 — 15.1.10
+10 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.2.5

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.

CA-8 Penetration Testing
addresses: CWE-89

Penetration testing uses SQL injection payloads against database interfaces, identifying and supporting fixes for SQL injection weaknesses.

SI-10 Information Input Validation
addresses: CWE-89

Validates query inputs to prevent SQL syntax or command manipulation.

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.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly target injection flaws during coding and review so largely prevent CWE-89 introduction, yet the single broad outcome leaves residual risk from incomplete neutralization techniques or missed edge cases.

PR.AT-02 partial match
blocks

Training raises developer awareness of SQLi risks and can reduce introduction likelihood (partial) but removes none of the actual coding flaw's risk by itself since technical neutralization is still required.

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.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.5.6 Contact with special interest groups partial match
blocks

A.5.6 only improves knowledge flow, awareness of threats/patches and access to specialist advice; it does not stop SQL injection from being exploitable in code that still contains the flaw.

References