CVE-2025-59481NVD status: Analyzed
BIG-IP: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
CVE-2025-59481 is a high-severity execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in BIG-IP from F5, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 17.5.1.3, 17.1.3, 16.1.6.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating BIG-IP to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.39% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Next patch cycle
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update BIG-IP to 17.5.1.3 or 17.1.3 or 16.1.6.1 or 15.1.10.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Big-ip Access Policy Manager to 15.1.10.8 or 16.1.6.1 or 17.1.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager to 15.1.10.8 or 16.1.6.1 or 17.1.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on my.f5.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| F5 | BIG-IP | 17.5.0 up to, but not including, 17.5.1.3; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8 | 17.5.1.3, 17.1.3, 16.1.6.1, 15.1.10.8 |
| F5 | Big-ip Access Policy Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Advanced Web Application Firewall | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Analytics | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Application Security Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Application Visibility And Reporting | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Automation Toolchain | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Carrier-grade Nat | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Container Ingress Services | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Ddos Hybrid Defender | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Domain Name System | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Edge Gateway | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Fraud Protection Service | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Global Traffic Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Link Controller | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.1.0.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.1.0.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Local Traffic Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.1.0.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.1.0.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Policy Enforcement Manager | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip SSL Orchestrator | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Webaccelerator | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
| F5 | Big-ip Websafe | 15.1.0 up to, but not including, 15.1.10.8; 16.1.0 up to, but not including, 16.1.6.1; 17.1.0 up to, but not including, 17.1.3; 17.5.0 through 17.5.1 | 15.1.10.8, 16.1.6.1, 17.1.3 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.5 | High | CNA (f5.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.7 | High | CNA (f5.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.7 | High | NVD |
Official description
A vulnerability exists in an undisclosed iControl REST and BIG-IP TMOS Shell (tmsh) command that may allow an authenticated attacker with at least resource administrator role to execute arbitrary system commands with higher privileges. A successful exploit can allow the attacker to cross a security boundary. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
More Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-250)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in BIG-IP
- 9.8 Critical severity
F5 BIG-IP APM Heap-based Buffer Overflow Exploited
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
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