F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
F5 · BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management
The iControl REST interface in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management contains an unauthenticated remote command execution flaw. The issue affects specific BIG-IP and BIG-IQ release branches prior to their listed fixed versions, and versions that have reached End of Software Development are not evaluated. An attacker with network access to the iControl REST interface can execute commands on the affected system without authenticating and without any user interaction or non-default configuration.
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.
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 5/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
What they do
What can follow
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 2 months after disclosure. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 21 days before disclosure.
- Public exploit codeMetasploit21 days before
- Disclosedday 0
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence+2 mo
- Added to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agrees+7 mo
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
5 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 5Initial AccessTA0001
The iControl REST interface has an unauthenticated remote command execution vulnerability. This vulnerability allows for unauthenticated attackers with network access to the iControl REST interface, through the BIG-IP management interface and self IP addresses, to execute arbitrary system commands, create or delete files, and disable services.
CVE-2021-22986 is a remote command execution vulnerability occurring on the iControl REST interface. Impact reported by the F5 security advisory "This vulnerability allows for unauthenticated attackers with network access to the iControl REST interface, through the BIG-IP management interface and self IP addresses, to execute arbitrary system commands, create or delete files, and disable services. This vulnerability can only be exploited through the control plane and cannot be exploited through the data plane. Exploitation can lead to complete system compromise. "
ExecutionTA0002
Command and ControlTA0011
ImpactTA0040
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 306 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2021-22986 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
External Remote ServicesT113320 general rules
- External Remote SMB Logon from Public IPhightest
- OpenCanary - SSH Login Attempthightest
- OpenCanary - SSH New Connection Attempthightest
- OpenCanary - Telnet Login Attempthightest
- Running Chrome VPN Extensions via the Registry 2 VPN Extensionhightest
- Unusual Child Process of dns.exehightest
- Unusual File Deletion by Dns.exehightest
- Unusual File Modification by dns.exehightest
Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190149 general rules
- Arcadyan Router Exploitationscriticaltest
- Citrix ADS Exploitation CVE-2020-8193 CVE-2020-8195criticaltest
- Citrix Netscaler Attack CVE-2019-19781criticaltest
- Confluence Exploitation CVE-2019-3398criticaltest
- CVE-2010-5278 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-0688 Exchange Exploitation via Web Logcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-10148 SolarWinds Orion API Auth Bypasscriticaltest
- CVE-2020-5902 F5 BIG-IP Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
Command and Scripting InterpreterT105995 general rules
- HackTool - Sliver C2 Implant Activity Patterncriticaltest
- Lazarus Group Activitycriticaltest
- REvil Kaseya Incident Malware Patternscriticaltest
- Turla Group Lateral Movementcriticaltest
- Windows Defender AMSI Trigger Detectedhighstable
- Windows Defender Threat Detectedhighstable
- Abusable DLL Potential Sideloading From Suspicious Locationhightest
- Add Insecure Download Source To Wingethightest
ProxyT109022 general rules
- Communication To LocaltoNet Tunneling Service Initiatedhightest
- Communication To LocaltoNet Tunneling Service Initiated - Linuxhightest
- Communication To Ngrok Tunneling Service - Linuxhightest
- Communication To Ngrok Tunneling Service Initiatedhightest
- HackTool - Htran/NATBypass Executionhightest
- Malicious IP Address Sign-In Failure Ratehightest
- Malicious IP Address Sign-In Suspicioushightest
- Ngrok Usage with Remote Desktop Servicehightest
Data DestructionT148520 general rules
- Fsutil Suspicious Invocationhighstable
- Potential BlackByte Ransomware Activityhightest
- Potential File Overwrite Via Sysinternals SDeletehightest
- Renamed Sysinternals Sdelete Executionhightest
- AWS EFS Fileshare Mount Modified or Deletedmediumtest
- Azure Device or Configuration Modified or Deletedmediumtest
- Azure Kubernetes Network Policy Changemediumtest
- Azure Kubernetes RoleBinding/ClusterRoleBinding Modified and Deletedmediumtest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX