How severe is CVE-2018-5502?

CVE-2018-5502 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-5502 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5502?

CVE-2018-5502 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5502?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-5502 published?

CVE-2018-5502 was published on 2018-03-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5502

CVE-2018-5502 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-295.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (69th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-295
Affected product: F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager
Published: 2018-03-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

On F5 BIG-IP versions 13.0.0 - 13.1.0.3, attackers may be able to disrupt services on the BIG-IP system with maliciously crafted client certificate. This vulnerability affects virtual servers associated with Client SSL profile which enables the use of client certificate authentication. Client certificate authentication is not enabled by default in Client SSL profile. There is no control plane exposure.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5502?: On F5 BIG-IP versions 13.0.0 - 13.1.0.3, attackers may be able to disrupt services on the BIG-IP system with maliciously crafted client certificate. This vulnerability affects virtual servers associated with Client SSL profile which enables the use of client certificate authentication. Client certificate authentication is not enabled by default in Client SSL profile. There is no control plane exposure.
How severe is CVE-2018-5502?: CVE-2018-5502 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-5502 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5502?: CVE-2018-5502 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5502?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-5502 published?: CVE-2018-5502 was published on 2018-03-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (13)

cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_application_acceleration_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_application_security_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_domain_name_system:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_edge_gateway:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_global_traffic_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_link_controller:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_local_traffic_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_policy_enforcement_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_webaccelerator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_websafe:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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