On versions 15.0.0-15.0.1.1, 14.0.0-14.1.2.2, 13.1.0-13.1.3.1, 12.1.0-12.1.5, and 11.5.2-11.6.5.1, the BIG-IP ASM system may consume excessive resources when processing certain types of HTTP responses from the origin web server. This vulnerability is only known to affect resource-constrained systems in which the security policy is configured with response-side features, such as Data Guard or response-side learning.
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big-ip_application_security_manager | F5 | 11.5.2 (including) | 11.6.5 (including) |
| Big-ip_application_security_manager | F5 | 12.1.0 (including) | 12.1.5 (including) |
| Big-ip_application_security_manager | F5 | 13.1.0 (including) | 13.1.3.2 (excluding) |
| Big-ip_application_security_manager | F5 | 14.1.0 (including) | 14.1.2.3 (excluding) |
| Big-ip_application_security_manager | F5 | 15.0.0 (including) | 15.1.0 (excluding) |
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.