# CVE-2023-41253: BIG-IP DNS TSIG Key vulnerability

> Attackers with audit log access can read plaintext TSIG keys, compromising DNS security on F5 BIG-IP devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-85q5-vwqg-rm58

## What is CVE-2023-41253?

CVE-2023-41253 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System, published on 10 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When on BIG-IP DNS or BIG-IP LTM enabled with DNS Services License, and a TSIG key is created, it is logged in plaintext in the audit log.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Weakness: CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-41253?

It affects 2 products.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System, F5 Big-Ip Local Traffic Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-41253?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-41253 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-41253 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-41253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System

- [CVE-2022-23013](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23013/): Cross-site scripting in BIG-IP DNS & GTM (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-40061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40061/): iControl REST and tmsh vulnerability (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2022-41787](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-41787/): BIG-IP DNS Express vulnerability CVE-2022-41787 (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-23032](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23032/): Denial of service in BIG-IP DNS (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-27717](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27717/): Denial of service in BIG-IP DNS (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-41253 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-41253 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System, published on 10 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-41253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System. 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-2023-41253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41253/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-41253
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-41253
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-41253

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41253/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.