BIG-IP
CVE-2023-3470: BIG-IP FIPS HSM password vulnerability CVE-2023-3470
Specific F5 BIG-IP platforms with Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM cards generate a deterministic password for the Crypto User account.
Published
Automatic summary from the vendor's CVE record. We haven't written a full analysis of this vulnerability yet.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product / branch | Fixed in |
|---|---|
| BIG-IP 16.0 | Not affected |
| BIG-IP 15.1 | 15.1.1 or later |
| BIG-IP 14.1 | 14.1.4 or later |
| BIG-IP 13.1 | 13.1.4 or later |
Always confirm against the vendor advisory, which lists every fixed hotfix.
What it is
Specific F5 BIG-IP platforms with Cavium Nitrox FIPS HSM cards generate a deterministic password for the Crypto User account. The predictable nature of the password allows an authenticated user with TMSH access to the BIG-IP system, or anyone with physical access to the FIPS HSM, the information required to generate the correct password. On vCMP systems, all Guests share the same deterministic password, allowing those with TMSH access on one Guest to access keys of a different Guest.
The following BIG-IP hardware platforms are affected: 10350v-F, i5820-DF, i7820-DF, i15820-DF, 5250v-F, 7200v-F, 10200v-F, 6900-F, 8900-F, 11000-F, and 11050-F.
The BIG-IP rSeries r5920-DF and r10920-DF are not affected, nor does the issue affect software FIPS implementations or network HSM configurations.
Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
Sources
KEV status, EPSS score and vendor data refreshed automatically, last on 12 Oct 2026.