CVE-2018-15315 in BIG-IP
Summary
by MITRE
On F5 BIG-IP 13.0.0-13.1.1.1 and 12.1.0-12.1.3.6, there is a reflected Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in an undisclosed Configuration Utility page.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15315 represents a critical reflected cross site scripting flaw within the F5 BIG-IP configuration utility interface. This issue affects specific versions of the F5 BIG-IP system including releases 13.0.0 through 13.1.1.1 and 12.1.0 through 12.1.3.6, making it a widespread concern across multiple major release lines of the network security platform. The vulnerability manifests in an undisclosed configuration utility page, which suggests the attack vector operates through user input processing within the administrative interface rather than through external network communications or direct API endpoints.
The technical implementation of this reflected XSS vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input is improperly sanitized or encoded before being reflected back to the victim's browser within the configuration utility's response. This allows an attacker to inject malicious script code that executes in the context of the victim's browser session. The flaw specifically resides in how the system processes and renders user input within the configuration utility's page, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the web application's behavior through crafted input parameters. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that malicious payloads are delivered via crafted URLs or form submissions that are immediately reflected back to the user without any permanent storage on the server.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing F5 BIG-IP systems, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code within the context of an authenticated administrator session. The impact extends beyond simple script execution, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to perform administrative actions, access sensitive configuration data, modify system settings, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The configuration utility typically requires administrative privileges to access, meaning that successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges and complete control over the BIG-IP system's network security policies and configurations.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or encode user-controllable input that is subsequently reflected back to users. This weakness is particularly dangerous in administrative interfaces where the privilege level of users is elevated, as demonstrated by the ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations may find themselves vulnerable to advanced persistent threats where attackers leverage such XSS vulnerabilities to establish footholds within their network infrastructure. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability affects multiple versions of the BIG-IP platform, requiring organizations to assess and remediate across their entire deployment landscape rather than focusing on a single version or release.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches released for the affected versions, as well as network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures including input validation, output encoding, and regular security assessments of their administrative interfaces. The configuration utility access should be restricted to trusted networks and require multi-factor authentication to reduce the attack surface. Regular monitoring of system logs for suspicious activities and implementing proper security awareness training for administrators can further reduce the risk of successful exploitation, as the vulnerability requires some form of user interaction to be effective.