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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2025-59481

HIGH · 8.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.1.10.8 / 16.1.6.1 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
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
A vulnerability exists in an undisclosed iControl REST and BIG-IP TMOS Shell (tmsh) command that may allow an authenticated attacker with at least resource administrator role to execute arbitrary system commands with higher privileges.  A successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary.  Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) 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 · moderate confidence

This is an authenticated command injection vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP's iControl REST API and TMOS Shell (tmsh) interface. An attacker with resource administrator role or higher can execute arbitrary system commands with elevated privileges, allowing privilege escalation beyond their assigned role.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch when released; restrict iControl REST and tmsh access to trusted IP addresses using allow-lists; ensure users are assigned only the minimum required roles following least-privilege principles.

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:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1
Big Ip Automation ToolchainApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6.1>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

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

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 product version
    Run `tmsh show /sys version` or check the BIG-IP GUI under Dashboard > System > Software Version to determine the installed version
    Affected if The version falls within >= 15.1.0 < 15.1.10.8, >= 16.1.0 < 16.1.6.1, >= 17.1.0 < 17.1.3, or >= 17.5.0 <= 17.5.1
  2. Confirm the module is installed
    Run `tmsh list /sys module` to list installed BIG-IP modules such as APM, AFM, ASM, or others
    Affected if Any of the affected modules (APM, AFM, AWF, Analytics, AAM, ASM, AVR, Automation Toolchain) are installed on a vulnerable version
  3. Check if iControl REST is accessible
    Verify the iControl REST API is enabled by checking the BIG-IP configuration via `tmsh list /sys httpd` or by testing HTTPS access to port 443 on the management or self IP
    Affected if iControl REST is enabled and reachable (default on BIG-IP)
  4. Review administrative user roles
    List user roles using `tmsh list /auth user` or via the GUI under Access > Users > User List to identify accounts with resource administrator privileges
    Affected if Any user account possesses the resource administrator role or higher administrative privileges

The environment is affected if the BIG-IP version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND iControl REST is accessible to authenticated users with resource administrator privileges.

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 15.1.10.8 / 16.1.6.1 / 17.1.3 or later
Fixed in 15.1.10.816.1.6.117.1.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch when released; restrict iControl REST and tmsh access to trusted IP addresses using allow-lists; ensure users are assigned only the minimum required roles following least-privilege principles.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to 15.1.10.8+ (15.1.x), 16.1.6.1+ (16.1.x), 17.1.3+ (17.1.x), or 17.5.2+ (17.5.x)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed BIG-IP version by running `tmsh show sys version` or checking the web management console status page
  2. 2. Determine which version branch (15.1.x, 16.1.x, 17.1.x, or 17.5.x) your current installation uses
  3. 3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the F5 Downloads portal at https://my.f5.com/ (requires F5 account)
  4. 4. For 15.1.x branch: Upgrade to version 15.1.10.8 or later
  5. 5. For 16.1.x branch: Upgrade to version 16.1.6.1 or later
  6. 6. For 17.1.x branch: Upgrade to version 17.1.3 or later
  7. 7. For 17.5.x branch: Upgrade to version 17.5.2 or later
  8. 8. Review F5 upgrade documentation and release notes before proceeding with the upgrade
Caveat Review F5 release notes for potential compatibility issues between major versions; upgrades between major version branches (e.g., 15.x to 17.x) may require additional migration steps

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
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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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-2025-59481 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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