CVE-2022-29263 in BIG-IP APM
Summary
by MITRE • 05/05/2022
On F5 BIG-IP APM 16.1.x versions prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.x versions prior to 15.1.5.1, 14.1.x versions prior to 14.1.4.6, 13.1.x versions prior to 13.1.5, and all versions of 12.1.x and 11.6.x, as well as F5 BIG-IP APM Clients 7.x versions prior to 7.2.1.5, the BIG-IP Edge Client Component Installer Service does not use best practice while saving temporary files. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-29263 affects F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager components across multiple version lines including 16.1.x prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.x prior to 15.1.5.1, 14.1.x prior to 14.1.4.6, 13.1.x prior to 13.1.5, and all 12.1.x and 11.6.x versions along with F5 BIG-IP APM Clients 7.x prior to 7.2.1.5. This security flaw resides within the BIG-IP Edge Client Component Installer Service which is responsible for managing client-side components in the F5 BIG-IP environment. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of temporary file creation processes during the installation of edge client components.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the installer service's failure to employ secure temporary file handling practices as defined by industry standards and best security practices. This insecure implementation creates opportunities for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution attacks. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-377 as "Insecure Temporary File Creation" which specifically addresses the security risks associated with improper temporary file management in software applications. The installer service's inadequate approach to temporary file creation allows attackers to potentially manipulate these files during the installation process, leading to unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it creates a persistent security weakness within F5 BIG-IP environments that could be exploited by malicious actors. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to systems, potentially compromising the entire BIG-IP infrastructure and the sensitive data protected by these access management systems. The vulnerability affects organizations using legacy versions of the F5 BIG-IP platform, which often include critical infrastructure components that require robust security controls. This creates a significant risk for enterprises that may not have immediate resources to upgrade their systems or may be operating with older software versions due to compatibility concerns.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches for affected versions, as recommended in the F5 security advisory. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1548.002 for abuse of sudo privileges, indicating the potential for privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised environments. Additional defensive measures should include monitoring for unauthorized installation activities, implementing strict access controls for the installer service, and conducting regular security assessments of the BIG-IP environment. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to the affected components, while endpoint protection solutions should be enhanced to detect suspicious temporary file creation patterns. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and following secure coding practices, particularly when handling temporary file operations in enterprise security infrastructure components.