CVE-2021-22986: F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-a2ff1bb389d7, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name: F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Vendor: F5
Product: BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management
Added to the catalog: 2021-11-03
Due date for US federal agencies: 2021-11-17
Weaknesses: CWE-863
Catalog version: 2026.10.30

F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management contain a remote code execution vulnerability in the iControl REST interface that allows unauthenticated attackers with network access to execute system commands, create or delete files, and disable services.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22986

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status: Analyzed
Published: 2021-03-31T15:15:15.153
Last modified: 2026-06-17T03:38:09.413
Weaknesses: CWE-918

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.

Metric	Score	Severity	Vector	Scored by
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H	[email protected] (Primary)
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H	134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary)
CVSS 2.0	10	HIGH	AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C	[email protected] (Primary)

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162059/F5-iControl-Server-Side-Request-Forgery-Remote-Command-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162066/F5-BIG-IP-16.0.x-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K03009991 (Vendor Advisory)
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162059/F5-iControl-Server-Side-Request-Forgery-Remote-Command-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162066/F5-BIG-IP-16.0.x-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K03009991 (Vendor Advisory)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22986 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:51.476Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2021-22986

CVE record

Assigner: f5
State: PUBLISHED
Published: 2021-03-31T14:04:47.000Z
Updated: 2025-10-21T23:25:50.810Z
Problem types: Remote Command Execution

References

https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K03009991
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162059/F5-iControl-Server-Side-Request-Forgery-Remote-Command-Execution.html
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162066/F5-BIG-IP-16.0.x-Remote-Code-Execution.html

Read on 2026-11-03T01:06:29.077Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2021/22xxx/CVE-2021-22986.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Isolate: Application-based Process Isolation (acts on Subroutine)
Restore: Restore Software (acts on Software)
Model: Asset Vulnerability Enumeration (acts on Software)
Harden: Trusted Library (acts on Subroutine)
Harden: Domain Logic Validation (acts on Subroutine)
Harden: Variable Initialization (acts on Subroutine)
Harden: Credential Scrubbing (acts on Subroutine)
Harden: Software Update (acts on Software)
Model: Software Inventory (acts on Software)

D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.

Read on 2026-11-03T00:03:22.605Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-918.json

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
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Sources and licences

CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
CC0 1.0 Universal
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)
MITRE D3FEND
MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/
MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2021-22986: F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-a2ff1bb389d7, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2021-22986 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-17T03:38:09.413.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:25:50.810Z.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.

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