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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2021-22974

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-02-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.1.3.5 / 13.1.3.6 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
On BIG-IP version 16.0.x before 16.0.1.1, 15.1.x before 15.1.2, 14.1.x before 14.1.3.1, and 13.1.x before 13.1.3.6 and all versions of BIG-IQ 7.x and 6.x, an authenticated attacker with access to iControl REST over the control plane may be able to take advantage of a race condition to execute commands with an elevated privilege level. This vulnerability is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2017-6167. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Race condition vulnerability in the iControl REST API on F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ allows authenticated attackers to execute commands with elevated privileges. This is an incomplete fix for CVE-2017-6167, exploitable via the control plane network interface.

MitigationApply F5 security updates: BIG-IP 16.0.1.1+, 15.1.2+, 14.1.3.1+, 13.1.3.6+ or later; BIG-IQ requires patching per F5 advisory. Restrict iControl REST access to trusted networks and rotate credentials.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.5>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Ddos Hybrid DefenderApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.3.1>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or 'bigpipe version' from the command line to obtain the installed BIG-IP software version
    Affected if The version falls within any of the affected ranges: 13.1.0 to <13.1.3.5/6, 14.1.0 to <14.1.3.1, 15.1.0 to <15.1.2, or 16.0.0 to <16.0.1.1 (exact upper bound varies by module)
  2. Determine which BIG-IP modules are licensed
    Run 'tmsh list sys license' or check the BIG-IP configuration for active module licenses such as APM, AFM, ASM, Analytics, AAM, or DNS
    Affected if Any of the affected modules (APM, AFM, ASM, Analytics, AAM, DNS, DDOS Hybrid Defender) are licensed on a vulnerable version
  3. Verify iControl REST API is enabled
    Check the iControl REST service status via 'tmsh list sys service icr' or review the /etc/httpd/conf.d/icontrol_rest.conf configuration file for the service listening status
    Affected if iControl REST API service is running and accessible on the control plane interface
  4. Confirm network exposure of iControl REST
    Review the self IP addresses and VLAN configuration accessible via 'tmsh list net self' and verify whether the management interface or control plane network is reachable from untrusted networks
    Affected if iControl REST is exposed on a network accessible to untrusted users rather than isolated to management-only access
  5. Check for existing exploitation indicators
    Review system logs in /var/log/audit for suspicious iControl REST API calls, particularly those involving command execution or privilege escalation patterns

The environment is affected if BIG-IP is running a version within the affected ranges AND iControl REST API is enabled and accessible on the control plane network interface to authenticated users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.1.3.5 / 13.1.3.6 / 14.1.3.1 or later
Fixed in 13.1.3.513.1.3.614.1.3.1
Interim mitigation

Apply F5 security updates: BIG-IP 16.0.1.1+, 15.1.2+, 14.1.3.1+, 13.1.3.6+ or later; BIG-IQ requires patching per F5 advisory. Restrict iControl REST access to trusted networks and rotate credentials.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,900
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,040.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-22974 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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