# CVE-2025-60013: F5OS-A FIPS HSM password vulnerability

> Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in FIPS module initialization passwords, crossing security boundaries.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g34m-cm8j-m5gg

## What is CVE-2025-60013?

CVE-2025-60013 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in F5OS - Appliance, published on 15 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When a highly-privileged, authenticated attacker attempts to initialize the rSeries FIPS module using a password with special shell metacharacters, arbitrary system commands may be executed, and the FIPS hardware security module (HSM) may fail to initialize. A successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-60013?

It affects 1 product.


Products: F5 F5os-A.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-60013?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-60013 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-60013 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-60013 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Scalar Venom Attack: A critical HSM initialization vulnerability (CVE-2025-60013) enables private Bitcoin wallet key recovery through buffer overflow exploitation and shell metacharacters in the F5OS-A FIPS security module (github_poc): https://github.com/demining/Scalar-Venom-Attack

## Other vulnerabilities in F5OS - Appliance

- [CVE-2025-36546](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36546/): F5OS Appliance Mode vulnerability (critical 9.2)
- [CVE-2025-46265](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-46265/): F5OS vulnerability (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-57780](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-57780/): F5OS Vulnerability (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2025-61955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61955/): F5OS vulnerability (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2025-43878](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43878/): F5OS-A/C CLI vulnerability (high 8.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-60013 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-60013 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in F5OS - Appliance, published on 15 Oct 2025. 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-2025-60013 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5OS - Appliance. 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-2025-60013/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-60013/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-60013
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-60013
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-60013

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-60013/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.