# CVE-2023-45226: BIG-IP Next SPK SSH vulnerability

> Attackers can impersonate the SSH server on BIG-IP Next SPK containers if debug SSH is enabled, due to hardcoded credentials.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6vq9-584m-2q8f

## What is CVE-2023-45226?

CVE-2023-45226 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP Next SPK, published on 10 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The BIG-IP SPK TMM (Traffic Management Module) f5-debug-sidecar and f5-debug-sshd containers contains hardcoded credentials that may allow an attacker with the ability to intercept traffic to impersonate the SPK Secure Shell (SSH) server on those containers. This is only exposed when ssh debug is enabled.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-45226?

It affects 1 product.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Next Service Proxy for Kubernetes.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-45226?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-45226 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-45226 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45226 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-45226 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-45226 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP Next SPK, published on 10 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45226 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5 BIG-IP Next SPK. 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-2023-45226/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45226/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45226
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45226
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-45226

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45226/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.