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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2021-22988

HIGH · 8.8 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 →
94/100
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, 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) has an authenticated remote command execution vulnerability in undisclosed pages. An attacker with valid TMUI credentials can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system. The vulnerability affects multiple version branches from 11.6.x through 16.0.x.

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 TMUI access to trusted networks or disable external access to the management interface as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 BIG-IP version via command line
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or 'bigpipe version' on the command line, or log into TMUI and go to System > Software Management > Image List to see installed version
    Affected if The displayed version falls within 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
  2. Confirm TMUI (Configuration utility) is accessible
    Verify whether the BIG-IP management interface (TMUI) is reachable on port 443 or 8443, either internally or externally. Check network exposure via 'tmsh list sys management-ip' and review firewall policies.
    Affected if TMUI is exposed to network segments where untrusted users could potentially obtain valid credentials
  3. Determine if external access to management interface is allowed
    Review iRule or firewall rules that allow traffic to the management interface from untrusted networks. Check if the management interface is bound to a VLAN accessible from outside.
    Affected if Management interface is accessible from untrusted or public networks without IP restriction
  4. Verify installed hotfixes
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' to see the base version and installed hotfixes. Compare against the fixed versions: 11.6.5.3, 12.1.5.3, 13.1.3.6, 14.1.4, 15.1.2.1, or 16.0.1.1
    Affected if Running a version within the affected ranges without the corresponding fixed hotfix installed

You are affected if your BIG-IP runs a version within 11.6.1 through 16.0.1.0 AND the TMUI management interface is accessible to users who could obtain valid credentials.

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 TMUI access to trusted networks or disable external access to the management interface as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to 11.6.5.3, 12.1.5.3, 13.1.3.6, 14.1.4, 15.1.2.1, or 16.0.1.1 (or later) depending on your current version branch

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed BIG-IP version by running `tmsh show sys version` or checking the TMUI login page footer.
  2. 2. Determine which version branch you are currently running (11.6.x, 12.1.x, 13.1.x, 14.1.x, or 15.1.x).
  3. 3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the F5 Networks downloads portal at https://downloads.f5.com/ or through your F5 account.
  4. 4. Review the F5 BIG-IP upgrade guide at https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K13036 for pre-upgrade considerations and compatibility checks.
  5. 5. Create a backup of the BIG-IP configuration using `tmsh save sys config` or via the TMUI under System > Archive > Create.
  6. 6. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades may cause brief service interruptions.
  7. 7. Upload the ISO image to the BIG-IP device via TMUI (System > Software Management > Image List > Upload) or via SCP/tmsh.
  8. 8. Install the new version volume using `tmsh install sys software` command or via TMUI (System > Software Management > Volume List > Install).
Caveat Major version upgrades may require configuration changes; review F5 release notes for breaking changes between versions

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2021-22988 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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