F5, a U.S. technology company providing foundational security and performance solutions for government networks and critical infrastructure, suffered a nation-state hack. The breach, discovered in August 2024 but active since late 2023, involved the theft of product source code and undisclosed vulnerability data, along with customer configuration data. While no evidence yet exists of exploited vulnerabilities or compromised source code, the stolen data poses a severe risk potentially serving as a 'master key' for devastating follow-on attacks against government agencies, critical infrastructure, or global networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive mandating patches for nearly 680,000 internet-facing F5 devices by October 22, 2024. Experts warn the stolen data could enable campaigns akin to those by Salt Typhoon or Volt Typhoon, nation-state actors known for targeting edge infrastructure. The Justice Department authorized delayed disclosure due to national security risks, highlighting the breach’s potential to disrupt systems underpinning public safety, defense, or economic stability.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/f5
"id": "f55102051102225",
"linkid": "f5",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "6/2023",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "6",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the economy of geographical region"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': ['Federal Agencies (via CISA '
'directive)',
'Critical Infrastructure '
'Operators',
'F5 Product Users (potential '
'future impact)'],
'industry': ['Cybersecurity',
'Networking',
'Critical Infrastructure'],
'location': 'Seattle, Washington, U.S.',
'name': 'F5, Inc.',
'type': 'Technology Company'}],
'customer_advisories': ['Patch vulnerable F5 devices by 2024-10-22',
'Monitor for potential exploits using stolen data'],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (source code and vulnerability '
'data could enable future attacks)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Product Source Code',
'Customer Configuration Data',
'Undisclosed Vulnerability '
'Data']},
'date_detected': '2024-08',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-09/2024-10 (exact date unspecified)',
'description': 'F5, a U.S. technology company, disclosed a nation-state hack '
'targeting its product source code and customer configuration '
'data. The breach, detected in August 2024 but publicly '
'revealed in late September/early October 2024, involved '
"hackers accessing F5's systems since late 2023. The "
'Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) '
'issued an emergency directive requiring federal agencies to '
'patch vulnerable F5 devices by October 22, 2024. While no '
'evidence of exploited vulnerabilities or compromised source '
'code has been found, experts warn of potential devastating '
'attacks using the stolen data. Nearly 680,000 F5 product '
'hosts are publicly visible, primarily in the U.S., though not '
'all are confirmed vulnerable.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['Positive notes on transparency',
'Concerns over long-term trust due to '
'source code theft'],
'data_compromised': ['Product Source Code',
'Customer Configuration Data',
'Undisclosed Vulnerability Data'],
'operational_impact': ['Potential future exploits using stolen '
'data',
'Mandatory patching for federal agencies by '
'2024-10-22'],
'systems_affected': ['F5 Product Hosts (~680,000 internet-facing, '
'primarily in the U.S.)']},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Product Source Code',
'Vulnerability Data'],
'reconnaissance_period': 'Since late 2023 (per '
'Bloomberg)'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (as of 2024-10)',
'lessons_learned': ['Nation-state actors target foundational technologies '
'(e.g., edge infrastructure, security vendors) for '
'strategic advantage.',
'Delayed disclosure can be justified for national '
'security but requires careful balance with transparency.',
'Collaboration and intelligence-sharing are critical for '
'mitigating supply-chain risks.',
'Patching directives must be swift for widely used '
'infrastructure technologies.'],
'motivation': ['Espionage',
'Intellectual Property Theft',
'Potential Future Cyberattacks'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['CISA-mandated patching of '
'F5 devices.',
'Enhanced monitoring for '
'exploits using stolen '
'data.',
'Review of access controls '
'for source code and '
'sensitive data.'],
'root_causes': ['Nation-state actor persistence in '
'F5 systems since late 2023.',
'Targeting of high-value '
'intellectual property (source '
'code, vulnerability data).',
'Potential gaps in detecting '
'long-term reconnaissance in edge '
'infrastructure.']},
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes (but not ransomware-related)'},
'recommendations': ['Inventory and patch all F5 devices per CISA guidance '
'(deadline: 2024-10-22).',
'Monitor for unusual activity leveraging stolen F5 '
'vulnerability data.',
'Enhance supply-chain risk management for critical '
'infrastructure vendors.',
'Adopt zero-trust principles for edge devices and '
'security appliances.',
'Improve public-private collaboration for nation-state '
'threat intelligence.'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024', 'source': 'Federal News Network'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-09',
'source': 'CISA Emergency Directive on F5 Devices'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-09/2024-10',
'source': "Bloomberg (report on hackers' long-term access)"},
{'date_accessed': '2024-09/2024-10',
'source': 'Statements from Censys, Tenable, Trellix, and '
'Wiley Law Firm'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['CISA Emergency '
'Directive (2024-09)',
'DoJ-authorized '
'delayed disclosure']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Controlled disclosure with DoJ '
'approval',
'Transparency praised by experts'],
'containment_measures': ['Delayed public disclosure (authorized '
'by DoJ for national security)',
'Internal investigation'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (discovered in August '
'2024)',
'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes (Justice Department involved)',
'remediation_measures': ['Patching directives issued by CISA '
'(deadline: 2024-10-22)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['CISA Emergency Directive (2024-09)',
'F5 Customer Notifications'],
'threat_actor': ['Nation-State Actor (unspecified)',
'Potentially linked to groups like Salt Typhoon or Volt '
'Typhoon (expert speculation)'],
'title': 'F5 Nation-State Cyberattack and Source Code Theft',
'type': ['Data Breach', 'Espionage', 'Nation-State Attack'],
'vulnerability_exploited': ['Undisclosed (stolen vulnerability data)',
'Potential zero-day in F5 products']}