CVE-2022-27181 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2022-27181, a vulnerability affecting F5 BIG-IP APM.

Understanding CVE-2022-27181

CVE-2022-27181 is a medium-severity vulnerability discovered on F5 BIG-IP APM.

What is CVE-2022-27181?

The vulnerability exists in versions of F5 BIG-IP APM prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.5.1, 14.1.4.6, 13.1.5, and all versions of 12.1.x and 11.6.x. If APM is configured on a virtual server with APM AAA NTLM Auth, undisclosed requests can lead to increased internal resource utilization.

The Impact of CVE-2022-27181

With a CVSS base score of 5.3, this vulnerability poses a medium risk. An attacker could potentially exploit this issue to impact the availability of the affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-27181

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows undisclosed requests to cause a spike in internal resource consumption on affected F5 BIG-IP APM versions.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.5.1, 14.1.4.6, 13.1.5, and all versions of 12.1.x and 11.6.x are vulnerable to this issue.

Exploitation Mechanism

By sending specific requests to a virtual server with APM configured with APM AAA NTLM Auth, threat actors can trigger a rise in internal resource usage.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update their F5 BIG-IP APM software to the latest patched version to mitigate this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing network segmentation, least privilege access controls, and regular security audits can enhance overall cybersecurity posture.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor for security updates from F5 Networks and promptly apply patches to secure the environment.