# CVE-2018-5548: Open redirect in BIG-IP APM

> An attacker can manipulate the orig_uri parameter in BIG-IP APM to construct a malicious redirect URI, potentially bypassing security controls.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Sep 2018
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hqqf-5vjp-3gwx

## What is CVE-2018-5548?

CVE-2018-5548 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 13 Sep 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

On BIG-IP APM 11.6.0-11.6.3, an insecure AES ECB mode is used for orig_uri parameter in an undisclosed /vdesk link of APM virtual server configured with an access profile, allowing a malicious user to build a redirect URI value using different blocks of cipher texts.

Weakness: CWE-601 (URL Redirection to Untrusted Site)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-5548?

It affects 1 product.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-5548?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-5548 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-5548 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-5548 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2018-5548 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-5548 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 13 Sep 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-5548 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-2018-5548/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5548/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-5548
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-5548
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-5548

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5548/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.