CVE-2023-22374Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Authenticated process crash via syslog format string

Published Feb 1, 2023 · Updated Mar 26, 2025

Format string injection in F5 BIG-IP iControl SOAP allows remote authenticated users to crash its CGI process through a crafted WSDL query. The iControlPortal.cgi handler appends WSDL input to a log string and passes it directly as the syslog format argument, so %s dereferences stack values. Administrative login is required; the demonstrated outcome is a segmentation-fault crash, while %n permits writes through stack pointers and creates a route to root code execution.

CVSS severity8.5
High
EPSS probability72.65%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Format string injection in F5 BIG-IP iControl SOAP allows remote authenticated users to crash its CGI process through a crafted WSDL query. The iControlPortal.cgi handler appends WSDL input to a log string and passes it directly as the syslog format argument, so %s dereferences stack values. Administrative login is required; the demonstrated outcome is a segmentation-fault crash, while %n permits writes through stack pointers and creates a route to root code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-22374
Published
Feb 1, 2023
Updated
Mar 26, 2025
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
BIG-IP
Classifications
CWE-134, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 1, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 26, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=13.1.5 <* changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]
  2. Affected versionversion=14.1.4.6 <14.1.5.4 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]
  3. Affected versionversion=15.1.5.1 <15.1.8.2 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]
  4. Affected versionversion=16.1.2.2 <16.1.3.4 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]
  5. Affected versionversion=17.0.0 <17.1.0 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

F5 Networks · BIG-IPversion=13.1.5 <* changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]; version=14.1.4.6 <14.1.5.4 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]; version=15.1.5.1 <15.1.8.2 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]; version=16.1.2.2 <16.1.3.4 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]; version=17.0.0 <17.1.0 changes=[{"at":"Engineering Hotfix Available","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

7.5F5CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.5F5CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-134Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

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