# What is CVE-2023-41373? > CVE-2023-41373 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.9) in Big-IP Access Policy Manager from F5, published on 10 October 2023. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 2.3%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix. Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/what-is/cve-2023-41373 ## At a glance - **Verdict:** Fix this soon. Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month. - **Precursor Intelligence risk score:** 54 out of 100 (Medium); action: Plan remediation. Kept up to date as the evidence changes. - **Severity:** Critical (CVSS 9.9 out of 10) - **Known to be exploited:** No, not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today - **Chance of use in the next 30 days:** 2.3% (latest exploit-likelihood forecast) - **Published:** 10 October 2023 - **Record last updated:** 17 October 2023 - **Main product:** Big-IP Access Policy Manager from F5 - **Affected products:** 18 ## What is CVE-2023-41373? In plain terms It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline. ### The official description A directory traversal vulnerability exists in the BIG-IP Configuration Utility that may allow an authenticated attacker to execute commands on the BIG-IP system. For BIG-IP system running in Appliance mode, a successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated. ### What kind of flaw is it? - CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') ### How an attack on it works - Where an attacker can be: Anywhere on the internet - How hard it is to pull off: Easy: no special conditions - Login needed first: An ordinary user account - Does someone have to click: No, nobody has to do anything - What an attacker gets: Can read data, change data and take it offline Severity vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H` ## Is CVE-2023-41373 being exploited? Not that we know of It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 2.3%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching. Exploit likelihood over the last 7 days: 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.3%. ### Timeline - 10 October 2023: Published - 17 October 2023: Record last updated - 11 June 2025: Exploit likelihood fell - 19 November 2025: Exploit likelihood jumped ### How Precursor Intelligence ranks it CVE-2023-41373 scores **54 out of 100 (Medium)**, with the action "Plan remediation". Every published flaw gets a risk score from 0 to 100, kept up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, from the one that counts most to the ones that count less: - Evidence it is being exploited: biggest factor - How severe it is: strong factor - How widely exposed it is: smaller factor - Threat activity around it: smaller factor 85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score. When this flaw matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it. ## Who is affected by CVE-2023-41373? The published record lists 18 products. Versions are as published: "14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6" means from 14.1.0 up to, but not including, 14.1.5.6. - [Big-IP Access Policy Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_access_policy_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Advanced Firewall Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Advanced Web Application Firewall](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Analytics](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_analytics) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Application Acceleration Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_application_acceleration_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Application Security Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_application_security_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Application Visibility and Reporting](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_application_visibility_and_reporting) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Carrier-Grade Nat](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_carrier-grade_nat) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP DDOS Hybrid Defender](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_ddos_hybrid_defender) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Domain Name System](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_domain_name_system) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Fraud Protection Service](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_fraud_protection_service) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Global Traffic Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_global_traffic_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Link Controller](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_link_controller) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Local Traffic Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_local_traffic_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Policy Enforcement Manager](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_policy_enforcement_manager) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP SSL Orchestrator](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_ssl_orchestrator) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Webaccelerator](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_webaccelerator) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 - [Big-IP Websafe](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/f5/big-ip_websafe) by [F5](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/f5) (Application): 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3 ## How do I fix CVE-2023-41373? 1. **Check whether you run it.** Compare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list. 2. **Apply the vendor’s fix.** Install the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list. 3. **If you can’t patch today.** Follow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in. 4. **Keep an eye on it.** Track the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood. ### References - [my.f5.com](https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000135689) (Vendor advisory) ## Questions ### What is CVE-2023-41373? CVE-2023-41373 is a critical-severity flaw in Big-IP Access Policy Manager from F5, published on 10 October 2023. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline. ### How serious is CVE-2023-41373? It scores 9.9 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is critical. Our risk score for CVE-2023-41373 is 54 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month. ### Is CVE-2023-41373 being exploited? It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 2.3%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching. ### Which versions does CVE-2023-41373 affect? For Big-IP Access Policy Manager from F5: 13.1.0 to 13.1.5, 14.1.0 to before 14.1.5.6, 15.1.0 to before 15.1.10.2, 16.1.0 to before 16.1.4.1, 17.1.0 to before 17.1.0.3. The record lists 18 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page. ### How do I fix CVE-2023-41373? Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet. ## Does CVE-2023-41373 affect you? Precursor Intelligence keeps checking for you: - **Tell us what you run.** Pick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website. - **We match it to every flaw.** Over 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list. - **Ranked by real-world risk.** Every flaw gets a 0 to 100 risk score, kept up to date, led by evidence criminals are using it. - **Told as soon as we know.** An alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools. Start free (no card, nothing to install): https://www.precursorintelligence.com/register Book a demo: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/contact