How severe is CVE-2018-5543?

CVE-2018-5543 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-5543 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5543?

CVE-2018-5543 affects F5 Big-ip Controller. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5543?

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-2018-5543 published?

CVE-2018-5543 was published on 2018-07-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5543

CVE-2018-5543 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Controller with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-522.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (66th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-522
Affected product: F5 Big-ip Controller
Published: 2018-07-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The F5 BIG-IP Controller for Kubernetes 1.0.0-1.5.0 (k8s-bigip-crtl) passes BIG-IP username and password as command line parameters, which may lead to disclosure of the credentials used by the container.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5543?: The F5 BIG-IP Controller for Kubernetes 1.0.0-1.5.0 (k8s-bigip-crtl) passes BIG-IP username and password as command line parameters, which may lead to disclosure of the credentials used by the container.
How severe is CVE-2018-5543?: CVE-2018-5543 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-5543 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5543?: CVE-2018-5543 affects F5 Big-ip Controller. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5543?: 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-2018-5543 published?: CVE-2018-5543 was published on 2018-07-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_controller:*:*:*:*:*:kubernetes:*:*

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