# CVE-2015-4040: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can access arbitrary files in the web root via a directory traversal vulnerability in the F5 BIG-IP configuration utility.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Sep 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pr85-mf4f-rm29

## What is CVE-2015-4040?

CVE-2015-4040 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 17 Sep 2015. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Directory traversal vulnerability in the configuration utility in F5 BIG-IP before 12.0.0 and Enterprise Manager 3.0.0 through 3.1.1 allows remote authenticated users to access arbitrary files in the web root via unspecified vectors.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-4040?

It affects 14 products.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager, F5 Big-Ip Analytics, F5 Big-Ip Application Acceleration Manager, F5 Big-Ip Application Security Manager, F5 Big-Ip Edge Gateway, F5 Big-Ip Global Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Link Controller, F5 Big-Ip Local Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager, F5 Big-Ip Protocol Security Module, F5 Big-Ip Wan Optimization Manager, F5 Big-Ip Webaccelerator, F5 Enterprise Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-4040?

No fix has been published for CVE-2015-4040 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2015-4040 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-4040 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- F5 Big-IP 10.2.4 Build 595.0 Hotfix HF3 - Directory Traversal (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager

- [CVE-2023-46747](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46747/): F5 BIG-IP Configuration Utility Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-1388](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1388/): F5 BIG-IP Missing Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22986/): F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22991/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management Microkernel Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-5902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5902/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-4040 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-4040 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 17 Sep 2015. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-4040 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4040/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4040/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-4040
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-4040
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-4040

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4040/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.