CVE-2021-22986

CRITICAL KEV RANSOMWARE NUCLEI

F5 iControl REST Unauthenticated SSRF Token Generation RCE

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2021-22986 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added November 3, 2021, with confirmed use in ransomware campaigns. EIP tracks 21 public exploits from researchers including Al1ex, dorkerdevil, S1xHcL, including a Metasploit module exploits/linux/http/f5_icontrol_rest_ssrf_rce. A Nuclei detection template is also available.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This exploit targets CVE-2021-22986, an unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices. It leverages the iControl REST API to execute arbitrary commands via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint, either by extracting an authentication token or using a hardcoded basic auth header.

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.

Exploits (21)

exploitdb WORKING POC
by Al1ex · pythonwebappshardware
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49738

This exploit targets CVE-2021-22986, an unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices. It leverages the iControl REST API to execute arbitrary commands via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint, either by extracting an authentication token or using a hardcoded basic auth header.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (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, 12.1.x before 12.1.5.3) and BIG-IQ (7.1.0.x before 7.1.0.3, 7.0.0.x before 7.0.0.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target's management interface · iControl REST API exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 91 stars
by Al1ex · remote
https://github.com/Al1ex/CVE-2021-22986

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-22986, an unauthenticated remote command execution vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices. The exploit leverages the iControl REST interface to execute arbitrary commands via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (12.1.0-12.1.5.2, 13.1.0-13.1.3.5, 14.1.0-14.1.3.1, 15.1.0-15.1.2, 16.0.0-16.0.1), F5 BIG-IQ (6.0.0-6.1.0, 7.0.0-7.0.0.1, 7.1.0-7.1.0.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the iControl REST interface on the target device
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 51 stars
by dorkerdevil · remote
https://github.com/dorkerdevil/CVE-2021-22986-Poc

The repository contains functional exploit code for CVE-2021-22986, demonstrating unauthenticated remote command execution (RCE) in BIG-IP iControl REST. The PoC includes curl commands to trigger command injection via the `filePath` parameter and direct bash command execution.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP iControl REST
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target BIG-IP device · iControl REST interface exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 27 stars
by S1xHcL · remote
https://github.com/S1xHcL/f5_rce_poc

This repository contains a functional Python exploit for CVE-2021-22986, targeting F5 BIG-IP devices. The exploit leverages an authentication bypass and command injection vulnerability in the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint to achieve remote code execution (RCE).

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target F5 BIG-IP management interface
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 14 stars
by Tas9er · poc
https://github.com/Tas9er/CVE-2021-22986

The repository claims to exploit CVE-2021-22986 (F5 BIG-IP RCE) but provides no actual exploit code, only a README with vague instructions and a warning. It lacks technical details and directs users to an external JAR file, which is a red flag for potential malware or a fake exploit.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: F5 BIG-IP
No auth needed
Prerequisites: none specified
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 10 stars
by west9b · remote
https://github.com/west9b/F5-BIG-IP-POC

This repository contains a Go-based PoC for multiple F5 BIG-IP vulnerabilities, including CVE-2022-1388, which allows authentication bypass and remote command execution. The code sends crafted HTTP requests to exploit the vulnerabilities and checks for successful execution.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce | Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target F5 BIG-IP device
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 8 stars
by yaunsky · remote
https://github.com/yaunsky/CVE-202122986-EXP

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-22986, a remote command execution vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP. The exploit sends a crafted POST request to the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint with a base64-encoded command, allowing arbitrary command execution on vulnerable systems.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (versions 11.x, 12.x, 13.x, 14.x, 15.x, 16.x)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · Valid credentials (default or compromised)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by safesword · remote
https://github.com/safesword/F5_RCE

This repository contains a functional Python exploit for CVE-2021-22986, an RCE vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP. The script sends a crafted POST request to the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint with a command payload, leveraging improper authentication handling.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (versions affected by CVE-2021-22986)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the F5 BIG-IP management interface · Target must be vulnerable to CVE-2021-22986
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 3 stars
by ZephrFish · remote
https://github.com/ZephrFish/CVE-2021-22986_Check

The repository contains a Python script that checks for the presence of CVE-2021-22986, a remote command execution vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP devices. The script sends a crafted HTTP POST request to the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint and checks the response to determine if the target is vulnerable.

Classification
Scanner 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP
Auth required
Prerequisites: Network access to the target F5 BIG-IP device · Valid credentials or authentication token
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS
by whatheheckisthis · poc
https://github.com/whatheheckisthis/Canonical-Extension-CVE-2021-22986

The repository claims to be a 'Canonical Extension of CVE-2021-22986' but contains no actual exploit code or technical details about the vulnerability. Instead, it focuses on a theoretical control validation system with no functional PoC or vulnerability analysis.

Classification
Suspicious 95%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: N/A
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Apr 15, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by whatheheckisthis · poc
https://github.com/whatheheckisthis/CVE-2021-22986

This repository is a structured research platform for CVE-2021-22986, focusing on governance and lifecycle management rather than providing a functional exploit. It includes protobuf definitions, CI/CD workflows, and documentation but lacks actual exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Complex
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: F5 BIG-IP iControl REST API
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to vulnerable F5 BIG-IP iControl REST API
devstral-2 · analyzed Apr 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by whatheheckisthis · poc
https://github.com/whatheheckisthis/bigip-icontrol-rce-research

This repository provides a structured research platform for CVE-2021-22986, focusing on governance and ASVS compliance rather than offensive exploitation. It models the vulnerability as a data flow problem, using gRPC services to ingest, trace, and verify controls without executing live exploits.

Classification
Writeup 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Complex
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: F5 BIG-IP iControl REST API
No auth needed
Prerequisites: NVD JSON feed · gRPC services · fixture-based testing environment
devstral-2 · analyzed Apr 11, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by huydung26 · remote
https://github.com/huydung26/CVE-2021-22986

This Python script exploits CVE-2021-22986, an authentication bypass vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP, by sending crafted requests to obtain an authentication token and then executing arbitrary commands via the management interface.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the BIG-IP management interface
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by amitlttwo · remote
https://github.com/amitlttwo/CVE-2021-22986

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-22986, an unauthenticated remote command execution vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices. The exploit leverages the iControl REST interface to execute arbitrary commands via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (12.1.0-16.0.1), F5 BIG-IQ (6.0.0-7.1.0.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the iControl REST interface (management plane)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by DDestinys · remote
https://github.com/DDestinys/CVE-2021-22986

This Python script exploits CVE-2021-22986, an RCE vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP, by sending a crafted POST request to the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint with a command payload. It reads target URLs from a file and checks for successful exploitation by verifying the response status code.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP
Auth required
Prerequisites: List of target URLs in a file (default: url.txt) · Network access to the target BIG-IP management interface
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS
by dotslashed · poc
https://github.com/dotslashed/CVE-2021-22986

The repository lacks actual exploit code and only provides vague instructions for scanning IPs, directing users to external tools like Shodan or ZoomEye. No technical details about CVE-2021-22986 are provided.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: unspecified
No auth needed
Prerequisites: list of IP addresses
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by kiri-48 · poc
https://github.com/kiri-48/CVE-2021-22986

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-22986, a vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP that allows unauthenticated remote command execution. The exploit leverages token leakage and command injection via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (versions affected by CVE-2021-22986)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target BIG-IP management interface
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by microvorld · poc
https://github.com/microvorld/CVE-2021-22986

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-22986, which targets F5 BIG-IP/BIG-IQ iControl Rest API. The exploit leverages SSRF to achieve RCE by leaking an authentication token and then executing arbitrary commands via the `/mgmt/tm/util/bash` endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP/BIG-IQ
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target F5 BIG-IP/BIG-IQ device · iControl Rest API exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec STUB
by Osyanina · poc
https://github.com/Osyanina/westone-CVE-2021-22986-scanner

The repository contains only a minimal README with no exploit code or technical details. It appears to be a placeholder or stub for a scanner related to CVE-2021-22986.

Classification
Stub 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: unknown
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
remote
https://github.com/httpvoid/CVE-Reverse

This repository contains functional exploit code for multiple CVEs, including CVE-2021-22986 (F5 BIG-IP iControl REST unauthenticated RCE), CVE-2021-21307 (Lucee Admin unauthenticated RCE), and others. The exploits are well-documented with clear steps and include payload generation and execution scripts.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (CVE-2021-22986), Lucee Admin (CVE-2021-21307), Confluence (CVE-2021-26084), MobileIron MDM (CVE-2020-15505), Microsoft Exchange (CVE-2021-41349)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to target · Python/Bash/PHP environment · Dependencies like jq, curl, and requests library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC EXCELLENT
by wvu, Rich Warren · rubypocunix
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/http/f5_icontrol_rest_ssrf_rce.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2021-22986, an unauthenticated SSRF in F5 iControl REST API to generate an X-F5-Auth-Token, enabling root command execution on affected BIG-IP or BIG-IQ devices.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: F5 BIG-IP (12.1.0-12.1.5, 13.1.0-13.1.3, 14.1.0-14.1.3, 15.1.0-15.1.2, 16.0.0-16.0.1), BIG-IQ (6.0.0-6.1.0, 7.0.0, 7.1.0)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target's iControl REST API (port 443) · Valid admin username (default: 'admin')
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

Nuclei Templates (1)

F5 iControl REST - Remote Command Execution
CRITICALby rootxharsh,iamnoooob
Shodan: http.title:"big-ip®-+redirect" +"server"
FOFA: title="big-ip®-+redirect" +"server"

Scores

CVSS v3 9.8
EPSS 0.9448
EPSS Percentile 100.0%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable yes
Technical Impact total

Details

CISA KEV 2021-11-03
VulnCheck KEV 2021-06-01
InTheWild.io 2021-03-20
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2021-10104
Ransomware Use Confirmed
CWE
CWE-918
Status published
Products (15)
f5/big-ip_access_policy_manager 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_analytics 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_application_acceleration_manager 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_application_security_manager 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_ddos_hybrid_defender 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_domain_name_system 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_fraud_protection_service 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
f5/big-ip_global_traffic_manager 12.1.0 - 12.1.5.3
... and 5 more
Published Mar 31, 2021
KEV Added Nov 03, 2021
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026