Access Policy Manager ClientsApplication · F5
CVE-2021-22980
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 · uneditedIn Edge Client version 7.2.x before 7.2.1.1, 7.1.9.x before 7.1.9.8, and 7.1.x-7.1.8.x before 7.1.8.5, an untrusted search path vulnerability in the BIG-IP APM Client Troubleshooting Utility (CTU) for Windows could allow an attacker to load a malicious DLL library from its current directory. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the victim must run this utility on the Windows system. 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 confidenceAn untrusted search path vulnerability in the BIG-IP APM Client Troubleshooting Utility (CTU) for Windows allows an attacker to place a malicious DLL in the same directory as the utility. When a victim runs the CTU, Windows loads the attacker's DLL instead of the legitimate one, enabling code execution.
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
Access Policy Manager ClientsApplication
>= 7.1.5, < 7.1.8.5>= 7.1.9, < 7.1.9.8>= 7.2.1, < 7.2.1.1
Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication
>= 11.6.1, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.3>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.2>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate APM Client installationSearch for F5 Networks folder in Program Files or look for 'F5 Networks\APM Client' directory structure. Check Program Files (x86) and Program Files directories.Affected if The F5 Access Policy Manager Client software is installed on the Windows system.
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Find the CTU executableLook for 'APM_Client_Troubleshooting_Utility.exe' or similar 'CTU' executable in the APM Client installation directory, typically under C:\Program Files (x86)\F5 Networks\APM Client\.Affected if The Troubleshooting Utility executable exists on the system, which is the vulnerable component.
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Check APM Client versionRight-click the CTU executable or APM Client DLLs, select Properties, and view the Version tab. Alternatively, check the version in the parent APM Client folder name or check registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\F5 Networks\APM Client.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 7.1.5 through 7.1.8.4, 7.1.9 through 7.1.9.7, 7.2.1 through 7.2.1.0 for the Client; or 11.6.1-11.6.5, 12.1.0-12.1.5, 13.1.0-13.1.3.5, 14.1.0-14.1.3, 15.1.0-15.1.2, or 16.0.0-16.0.1.0 for Big IP APM.
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Verify untrusted directory riskCheck if the CTU executable is run from a directory where untrusted users can write files, such as a shared network folder, user-downloads directory, or publicly accessible folder.Affected if The CTU can be launched from a directory controllable by an attacker, allowing DLL hijacking.
You are affected if the F5 APM Client or Big IP APM with CTU is installed and the version falls within the affected ranges AND the CTU can be executed from a directory where attackers can place malicious DLLs.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 data7.1.8.57.1.9.87.2.1.1
Update BIG-IP APM Client to version 7.2.1.1, 7.1.9.8, 7.1.8.5 or later to obtain the patched binary that properly validates DLL loading paths.
Fix this in Access Policy Manager Clients
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22980 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-22980 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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