CVE-2021-22986
SSRF in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager 12.1.0 – 12.1.5.3
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2021-22986 is a critical-severity SSRF (CWE-918) vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is an unauthenticated remote command execution flaw in the iControl REST interface of F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ products. It affects 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, as well as BIG-IQ versions 7.1.0.x before 7.1.0.3 and 7.0.0.x before 7.0.0.2. The issue is tracked as CWE-918 and carries a CVSS score of 9.8.
An unauthenticated attacker with network access can exploit the flaw to perform server-side request forgery leading to arbitrary command execution on the affected device. Successful exploitation grants the ability to read, modify, or delete data and fully compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
F5 has published mitigation guidance and fixed releases in security advisory K03009991, which directs administrators to apply the listed patches or upgrades. Public exploit code demonstrating both the SSRF vector and remote code execution has been released via PacketStorm, confirming the issue is readily weaponizable in exposed environments.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2021-10104
Vulnerability Data
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:…
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Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 03 November 2021
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V1.3.6V1.5.3V5.3.2V10.4.7
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing attempts server-side requests to internal resources, identifying SSRF weaknesses for remediation.
Outbound connections to external resources can be monitored and limited at the boundary, reducing SSRF impact.
Validates server-side URLs and resource references to block SSRF attempts.
Detects server-side request forgery through monitoring of unexpected outbound connections.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure development practices directly include input validation and destination allow-listing that prevent SSRF.
Runtime monitoring of web applications and services can detect anomalous outbound requests indicative of SSRF.
Vulnerability identification processes can discover and record SSRF flaws in web applications.
Network segmentation and egress controls can limit the damage from successful SSRF requests.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Operational threat data describing SSRF campaigns can be used to tighten outbound-request allow-lists and detection rules before attackers exploit them.