CVE-2023-43485

TACACS+ credential disclosure via plaintext audit logging

Published Oct 10, 2023 · Updated Sep 18, 2024

Sensitive-data exposure in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ allows local users to read a TACACS+ shared secret from an audit log. When TACACS+ audit forwarding is configured, the forwarding path writes the sharedsecret value to the audit log without redaction. A local low-privileged user with audit-log access can recover the credential; F5 has not disclosed a more specific code locus.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Sensitive-data exposure in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ allows local users to read a TACACS+ shared secret from an audit log. When TACACS+ audit forwarding is configured, the forwarding path writes the sharedsecret value to the audit log without redaction. A local low-privileged user with audit-log access can recover the credential; F5 has not disclosed a more specific code locus.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-43485
Published
Oct 10, 2023
Updated
Sep 18, 2024
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
BIG-IP
Classifications
CWE-532, T1552.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 18, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=13.1.0 <*
  2. Affected versionversion=14.1.0 <*
  3. Affected versionversion=15.1.0 <15.1.9
  4. Affected versionversion=16.1.0 <16.1.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

F5 Networks · BIG-IPversion=13.1.0 <*; version=14.1.0 <*; version=15.1.0 <15.1.9; version=16.1.0 <16.1.4
F5 Networks · BIG-IQversion=8.1.0 <*; version=8.2.0 <8.2.0.1.0.13.97-ENG; version=8.3.0 <8.3.0.0.12.118-ENG

Published CVSS scores

5.5F5CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-532Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File
T1552.001Credentials In Files

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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