How severe is CVE-2021-23043?

CVE-2021-23043 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-23043 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-23043?

CVE-2021-23043 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-23043?

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

When was CVE-2021-23043 published?

CVE-2021-23043 was published on 2021-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-23043

CVE-2021-23043 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-22.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager
Published: 2021-09-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

On BIG-IP, on all versions of 16.1.x, 16.0.x, 15.1.x, 14.1.x, 13.1.x, 12.1.x, and 11.6.x, a directory traversal vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility that allows an attacker to access arbitrary files. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-23043?: On BIG-IP, on all versions of 16.1.x, 16.0.x, 15.1.x, 14.1.x, 13.1.x, 12.1.x, and 11.6.x, a directory traversal vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility that allows an attacker to access arbitrary files. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
How severe is CVE-2021-23043?: CVE-2021-23043 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-23043 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-23043?: CVE-2021-23043 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-23043?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-23043 published?: CVE-2021-23043 was published on 2021-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K63163637

Affected products (11)

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_fraud_protection_service:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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