CVE-2017-6135 : What You Need to Know

F5 Networks, Inc. disclosed a vulnerability in software version 13.0.0 of various products, potentially leading to memory leakage and denial of service (DoS) conditions.

Understanding CVE-2017-6135

This CVE involves a memory leak issue in F5 BIG-IP LTM, AAM, AFM, Analytics, APM, ASM, DNS, GTM, Link Controller, PEM, and WebSafe versions.

What is CVE-2017-6135?

The vulnerability in F5 products can result in memory leakage due to undisclosed IPv4 or IPv6 packets sent to specific IP addresses, leading to out-of-memory (OOM) conditions.

The Impact of CVE-2017-6135

The vulnerability could be exploited to cause DoS attacks, potentially disrupting services and affecting system availability.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-6135

This section provides detailed technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from a slow memory leak triggered by sending specific packets to the management port or self IP addresses of affected F5 products.

Affected Systems and Versions

Products: BIG-IP LTM, AAM, AFM, Analytics, APM, ASM, DNS, GTM, Link Controller, PEM, WebSafe
Version: 13.0.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by sending undisclosed IPv4 or IPv6 packets to the affected IP addresses, causing memory leakage and potential DoS.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-6135, users should take immediate and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches or updates promptly.
Implement network-level controls to filter out potentially malicious packets.
Monitor system resources for signs of memory leakage.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch F5 products to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and audits to identify and address potential weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

F5 Networks has released patches to address the memory leakage vulnerability in affected versions.