CVE-2008-0539 in BIG-IP
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in dms/policy/rep_request.php in F5 BIG-IP Application Security Manager (ASM) 9.4.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the report_type parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2025
The CVE-2008-0539 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the F5 BIG-IP Application Security Manager version 9.4.3, specifically affecting the dms/policy/rep_request.php component. This vulnerability resides in the web application layer of the security appliance, which serves as a crucial gateway for application security policies and reporting functionalities. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the report_type parameter handling mechanism. When the application processes user-supplied data through this parameter without proper sanitization, it fails to neutralize potentially malicious script content that could be embedded within the parameter values. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a result of inadequate input validation and output encoding practices. The vulnerability exists because the application does not properly escape or validate characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code during the report generation process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing F5 BIG-IP ASM 9.4.3 for application security protection. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute persistent XSS attacks against authenticated users who access the security reporting interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive security policies. The impact extends beyond simple script injection as it could allow adversaries to manipulate the security appliance's reporting functionality, potentially compromising the integrity of security logs and audit trails. This vulnerability particularly affects the application security monitoring capabilities of the BIG-IP system, undermining the trustworthiness of the security infrastructure.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows patterns consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically targeting the application layer to establish initial access through web-based attacks. Security professionals should consider implementing comprehensive input validation measures, including parameterized queries and strict output encoding for all user-supplied data. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as F5 released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls, deploying content security policies, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation across all application components and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in parameter handling can create substantial security risks within enterprise security infrastructure.