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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2025-59781

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.1.10.8 / 16.1.6 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
When DNS cache is configured on a BIG-IP or BIG-IP Next CNF virtual server, undisclosed DNS queries can cause an increase in memory resource utilization.   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 a denial-of-service vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IP Next CNF virtual servers where DNS cache is enabled. Undisclosed DNS queries can trigger excessive memory resource utilization, likely due to insufficient bounds checking or caching logic in the DNS cache implementation, potentially leading to memory exhaustion.

MitigationDisable DNS cache on affected virtual servers if not required, or implement DNS query rate limiting and monitoring to prevent memory exhaustion from malicious or excessive DNS queries. Consider upgrading to a patched version when available.

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>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2
Big Ip Automation ToolchainApplication
Affected:>= 15.1.0, < 15.1.10.8>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.6>= 17.1.0, < 17.1.2.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 F5 BIG-IP system version
    Run command 'tmsh show /sys version' or view version in the web UI under System > Software Management > ISO Image or System > Overview > Utilities
    Affected if Version matches 15.1.0 to 15.1.10.7, 16.1.0 to 16.1.5, or 17.1.0 to 17.1.2.1 (any version within the affected ranges)
  2. Identify virtual servers with DNS cache enabled
    Run 'tmsh list ltm virtual' and look for 'dns-cache enabled' in the virtual server configuration, or use the web UI to review each virtual server's DNS Cache setting under Local Traffic > Virtual Servers
    Affected if Any virtual server has DNS cache enabled (the vulnerability requires DNS cache to be specifically turned on)
  3. Verify DNS cache configuration on specific virtual servers
    For each virtual server identified, run 'tmsh list ltm virtual <name> dns-cache' or inspect the DNS Cache profile attached to the virtual server under the Resources tab
    Affected if DNS cache is set to enabled (not disabled or not configured)

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable F5 BIG-IP version (15.1.0-15.1.10.7, 16.1.0-16.1.5, or 17.1.0-17.1.2.1) AND has DNS cache enabled on one or more virtual servers.

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 / 17.1.2.2 or later
Fixed in 15.1.10.816.1.617.1.2.2
Interim mitigation

Disable DNS cache on affected virtual servers if not required, or implement DNS query rate limiting and monitoring to prevent memory exhaustion from malicious or excessive DNS queries. Consider upgrading to a patched version when available.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to 15.1.10.8 (for 15.1.x), 16.1.6 (for 16.1.x), or 17.1.2.2 (for 17.1.x) depending on your current version branch

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP version by running `tmsh show sys version` or checking the web UI's System > Software menu
  2. 2. Determine which version branch (15.1.x, 16.1.x, or 17.1.x) is currently in use
  3. 3. For 15.1.x branches: Upgrade to version 15.1.10.8 or later
  4. 4. For 16.1.x branches: Upgrade to version 16.1.6 or later
  5. 5. For 17.1.x branches: Upgrade to version 17.1.2.2 or later
  6. 6. Download the appropriate ISO/TAR file from downloads.f5.com or your F5 licensing portal
  7. 7. Follow F5 standard upgrade procedures: boot from the new image, validate integrity, and complete the upgrade
  8. 8. After upgrade, verify the DNS cache configuration on virtual servers and confirm memory utilization returns to normal levels
Caveat Standard F5 upgrade risks apply - test in non-production environment first, ensure valid backup exists, and plan for brief downtime

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 / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

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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-2025-59781 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data