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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2026-41957

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.5.1 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
An authenticated remote code execution vulnerability through undisclosed vectors exists in the BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Configuration utility.  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

Authenticated remote code execution vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Configuration utility. The attacker needs valid credentials to exploit undisclosed attack vectors, achieving code execution with high severity (CVSS 8.8).

MitigationApply F5 security patches when available; immediately restrict Configuration utility access to trusted administrative IPs via ACLs; ensure all administrative accounts use strong, unique passwords and implement MFA where possible.

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:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Advanced Web Application FirewallApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Application Visibility And ReportingApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6
Big Ip Automation ToolchainApplication
Affected:>= 17.1.0, <= 17.1.3>= 17.5.0, <= 17.5.1>= 16.1.0, <= 16.1.6

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 the installed BIG-IP version
    Log into the F5 device via SSH and run the command: `tmsh show /sys version` or check the file `/etc/orig/release`. The version is also displayed at the bottom of the Configuration utility login page.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within 17.1.0-17.1.3, 17.5.0-17.5.1, or 16.1.0-16.1.6.
  2. Confirm the Configuration utility is accessible
    Verify that the web-based Configuration utility (typically on port 443 or 8443) is listening and reachable. Run `tmsh list /httpd` or check if the httpd service is running with `bigstart status httpd`.
    Affected if The Configuration utility web interface is exposed and operational on the device.
  3. Determine if authentication is configured for the Configuration utility
    Review the access policy and authentication settings for the Configuration utility via `tmsh list /access policy` or by checking the admin user account status with `tmsh list /auth user admin`.
    Affected if Valid administrative credentials can be configured or obtained for the Configuration utility, making exploitation possible.
  4. Check which modules are installed and running
    Execute `tmsh list /sys module` to list all installed F5 modules such as APM, AFM, ASM, AVR, and Automation Toolchain.
    Affected if Any of the affected modules (APM, AFM, AFW, Analytics, AAM, ASM, AVR, Automation Toolchain) are installed on a vulnerable version.

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is 17.1.0-17.1.3, 17.5.0-17.5.1, or 16.1.0-16.1.6 AND the Configuration utility web interface is accessible with valid authentication possible.

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 a release after 17.5.1
Interim mitigation

Apply F5 security patches when available; immediately restrict Configuration utility access to trusted administrative IPs via ACLs; ensure all administrative accounts use strong, unique passwords and implement MFA where possible.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the appropriate fixed version (17.1.4+, 17.5.2+, or 16.1.7+) as specified in the F5 security advisory K000137792 on my.f5.com

  1. 1. Identify the currently deployed BIG-IP or BIG-IQ version using the command: tmsh show sys version
  2. 2. Download the appropriate hotfix from the F5 downloads portal at https://my.f5.com/ (requires F5 account)
  3. 3. Upload the hotfix to the BIG-IP system via the web UI (System > Software Management > Image Upload) or via tmsh: tmsh install sys software hotfix <hotfix-file> volume <volume>
  4. 4. Verify the hotfix installation completed successfully: tmsh show sys software status
  5. 5. For high-availability configurations, perform a graceful failover before upgrading the active unit
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the vulnerability is resolved by confirming the version includes the security fix
Caveat Review F5 release notes for the target version for any configuration or compatibility changes 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
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,360
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,576.

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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-2026-41957 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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