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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2021-22987

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-03-31
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.6.5.3 / 12.1.5.3 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 versions 16.0.x before 16.0.1.1, 15.1.x before 15.1.2.1, 14.1.x before 14.1.4, 13.1.x before 13.1.3.6, 12.1.x before 12.1.5.3, and 11.6.x before 11.6.5.3 when running in Appliance mode, the Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI), also referred to as the Configuration utility, has an authenticated remote command execution vulnerability in undisclosed pages. 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

F5 BIG-IP TMUI (Configuration utility) contains an authenticated remote command execution vulnerability affecting multiple version branches (11.6.x, 12.1.x, 13.1.x, 14.1.x, 15.1.x, 16.0.x) when running in Appliance mode. An authenticated attacker with access to undisclosed TMUI pages can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying Linux-based operating system with elevated privileges.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP to the fixed versions (16.0.1.1, 15.1.2.1, 14.1.4, 13.1.3.6, 12.1.5.3, or 11.6.5.3). Additionally, restrict access to the TMUI to trusted networks or disable Appliance mode if not required.

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:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Ddos Hybrid DefenderApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.1.1
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 11.6.1, < 11.6.5.3>= 12.1.0, < 12.1.5.3>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.6>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.4>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.2.1>= 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
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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. Check BIG-IP version
    Log into the TMUI (Configuration Utility) and navigate to System > Software > Image List, or run `tmsh show /sys version` from the command line. The version is displayed in the format such as 16.0.0, 15.1.0, 14.1.0, etc.
    Affected if The installed version falls within these ranges: 11.6.1 to 11.6.5.2, 12.1.0 to 12.1.5.2, 13.1.0 to 13.1.3.5, 14.1.0 to 14.1.3, 15.1.0 to 15.1.2.0, or 16.0.0 to 16.0.1.0. Versions outside these ranges or at the fixed versions (16.0.1.1, 15.1.2.1, 14.1.4, 13.1.3.6, 12.1.5.3, 11.6.5.3) are not affected
  2. Verify Appliance mode is enabled
    From the BIG-IP command line, run `tmsh list /sys db ui.appliance-mode` to check if Appliance mode is enabled. Alternatively, in TMUI navigate to System > Configuration > Device > General.
    Affected if The value returned is 'true' or the UI shows Appliance mode is enabled. The vulnerability only affects systems running in Appliance mode.
  3. Confirm TMUI is network accessible
    Check if port 443 (or the configured TMUI port) is open to untrusted networks. Run `tmsh list /httpd` or check firewall rules with `iptables -L -n` to see which IP addresses can reach the TMUI service.
    Affected if The TMUI (Configuration Utility) is accessible from networks outside the trusted administrative network. The vulnerability requires network access to TMUI.
  4. Identify installed BIG-IP modules
    Run `tmsh list /sys provision` from the command line to see which modules (APM, AFM, ASM, Analytics, AAM, DNS, DDoS Hybrid Defender) are provisioned on the device.
    Affected if One or more of these modules are provisioned: APM, AFM, ASM, Analytics, AAM, DNS, or DDoS Hybrid Defender. All listed products share the same vulnerable TMUI component.

The system is affected if it runs a vulnerable version within the listed ranges AND has Appliance mode enabled AND has network-accessible TMUI.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.6.5.3 / 12.1.5.3 / 13.1.3.6 or later
Fixed in 11.6.5.312.1.5.313.1.3.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade BIG-IP to the fixed versions (16.0.1.1, 15.1.2.1, 14.1.4, 13.1.3.6, 12.1.5.3, or 11.6.5.3). Additionally, restrict access to the TMUI to trusted networks or disable Appliance mode if not required.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to the first fixed version in your branch: 11.6.5.3 (for 11.6.x), 12.1.5.3 (for 12.1.x), 13.1.3.6 (for 13.1.x), or 14.1.4 (for 14.1.x)

  1. Identify the currently installed BIG-IP version by running 'tmsh show sys version' or checking the TMUI login page
  2. Determine which version branch you are on (11.6.x, 12.1.x, 13.1.x, or 14.1.x)
  3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the F5 Networks download page (https://downloads.f5.com) or your F5 account
  4. Upload the ISO image to the BIG-IP device using the TMUI (System > Software Management > ISO Image) or via SCP
  5. Create a new boot partition (Volume) for the upgrade using 'tmsh install sys software' or via TMUI
  6. Verify the image is available and initiate the installation to the new volume
  7. Reboot the BIG-IP device to boot from the new volume using 'tmsh reboot volume <volume_name>'
  8. After reboot, verify the version is correct using 'tmsh show sys version' and confirm the vulnerability is patched
Caveat Patch releases (x.y.z where z changes) typically do not include breaking changes, but review F5 release notes before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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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-2021-22987 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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