How severe is CVE-2018-5540?

CVE-2018-5540 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2018-5540 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5540?

CVE-2018-5540 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Domain Name System. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5540?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-5540 published?

CVE-2018-5540 was published on 2018-07-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5540

CVE-2018-5540 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Domain Name System with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. 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-732.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (33rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: F5 Big-ip Domain Name System
Published: 2018-07-19
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

On F5 BIG-IP 13.0.0-13.0.1, 12.1.0-12.1.3.3, 11.6.0-11.6.3.1, or 11.5.1-11.5.6, Enterprise Manager 3.1.1, BIG-IQ Centralized Management 5.0.0-5.1.0, BIG-IQ Cloud and Orchestration 1.0.0, or F5 iWorkflow 2.1.0-2.3.0 the big3d process does not irrevocably minimize group privileges at start up.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5540?: On F5 BIG-IP 13.0.0-13.0.1, 12.1.0-12.1.3.3, 11.6.0-11.6.3.1, or 11.5.1-11.5.6, Enterprise Manager 3.1.1, BIG-IQ Centralized Management 5.0.0-5.1.0, BIG-IQ Cloud and Orchestration 1.0.0, or F5 iWorkflow 2.1.0-2.3.0 the big3d process does not irrevocably minimize group privileges at start up.
How severe is CVE-2018-5540?: CVE-2018-5540 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-5540 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5540?: CVE-2018-5540 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Domain Name System. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5540?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-5540 published?: CVE-2018-5540 was published on 2018-07-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_domain_name_system:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_global_traffic_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:enterprise_manager:3.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-iq_centralized_management:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-iq_cloud_and_orchestration:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:f5_iworkflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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