CVE-2013-5975 in BIG-IP Access Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The access policy logon page (logon.inc) in F5 BIG-IP APM 11.1.0 through 11.2.1 allows remote attackers to conduct clickjacking attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5975 affects the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager version 11.1.0 through 11.2.1, specifically targeting the access policy logon page component known as logon.inc. This issue represents a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute clickjacking attacks against authenticated users of the application delivery controller platform. The vulnerability resides within the web interface components that handle user authentication and session management, creating a potential entry point for malicious actors seeking to compromise user credentials or manipulate authenticated sessions.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient protection mechanisms in the logon.inc page implementation, which fails to properly implement clickjacking prevention controls such as the X-Frame-Options header or frame-busting JavaScript code. Attackers can exploit this weakness by embedding the vulnerable logon page within a malicious iframe structure, tricking users into performing unintended actions while believing they are interacting with legitimate authentication pages. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the user and the web interface, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators or users might be targeted through social engineering campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, privilege escalation, and unauthorized access to sensitive network resources managed by the F5 BIG-IP system. Organizations using affected versions face increased risk of unauthorized administrative access, potential data breaches, and compromised network security posture. The vulnerability affects the core authentication functionality of the system, undermining the fundamental security controls designed to protect access to enterprise resources. This weakness can be particularly devastating in environments where the BIG-IP APM serves as a critical gateway for remote access, VPN connections, and application delivery services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the deployment of the X-Frame-Options header with appropriate values such as DENY or SAMEORIGIN to prevent the page from being embedded in iframes. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers with frame-ancestors directives provides enhanced protection against clickjacking attacks. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to F5 BIG-IP APM versions that contain the patched implementation of the logon.inc page, specifically versions 11.3.0 and later where the vulnerability has been addressed. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive assessments of their web application security controls and implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-1021, which describes insufficient protection against clickjacking attacks, and represents a technique commonly used in the attack pattern catalog under ATT&CK framework category T1566 for credential harvesting through deceptive user interfaces.
The remediation strategy should include network segmentation to limit access to the vulnerable system, implementation of web application firewalls with clickjacking protection rules, and regular security assessments of all web interfaces within the organization's attack surface. Organizations must also establish proper incident response procedures to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability may be used in targeted attacks against high-value targets within the network infrastructure. Regular patch management processes should be enhanced to ensure timely deployment of security updates for critical infrastructure components like F5 BIG-IP systems that serve as foundational elements of enterprise security architecture.