CVE Intelligence
High Privilege escalation

CVE-2025-59481 — BIG-IP iControl REST and tmsh vulnerability

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.

Published Oct 15, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: f5

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+5
  • Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.39%
ahead of 32% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
F5
BIG-IP and 21 more
CVSS base
8.7
High · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (F5 BIG-IP, F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager, F5 Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager…).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (privilege escalation), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
F5 BIG-IP ≥ 17.5.0 and < 17.5.1.3≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager ≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Advanced Firewall Manager ≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Advanced Web Application Firewall ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Analytics ≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Application Security Manager ≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Application Visibility And Reporting ≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Automation Toolchain ≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Carrier-grade Nat ≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Container Ingress Services ≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Ddos Hybrid Defender ≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Domain Name System ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Edge Gateway ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Fraud Protection Service ≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Global Traffic Manager ≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Link Controller ≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.1.0.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Local Traffic Manager ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.1.0.8≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Policy Enforcement Manager ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Ssl Orchestrator ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Webaccelerator ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
F5 Big-ip Websafe ≥ 17.5.0 and ≤ 17.5.1≥ 17.1.0 and < 17.1.3≥ 16.1.0 and < 16.1.6.1≥ 15.1.0 and < 15.1.10.8 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
8.5 CVSS 4.0 High — — f5sirt@f5.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.5 CVSS 4.0 High — — f5 via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
8.7 CVSS 3.1 High 2.3 5.8 f5sirt@f5.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.7 CVSS 3.1 High 2.3 5.8 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.7 CVSS 3.1 High — — f5 via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
6.5 CVSS 3.1 Medium — — f5 via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)
Sources assign different scores within the same severity band. For prioritization we use 8.7 (f5sirt@f5.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database) as a conservative provisional reference — not a definitive official score.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-250 · Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.39%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · f5/big-ip
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 8.7
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Analyzed
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2025
  • CVE published
    Oct 15, 2025 · f5

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

F5
every CVE for this vendor
Privilege escalation
same class
CWE-250
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-94127 F5 BIG-IP APM Heap-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability KEV 23d
  • CVE-2026-42937 iControl REST and tmsh vulnerability May 13, 2026
  • CVE-2026-42919 F5 BIG-IP Appliance Mode Vulnerability May 13, 2026
  • CVE-2026-42920 BIG-IP DTLS Vulnerability May 13, 2026
  • CVE-2026-42924 BIG-IP iControl SOAP vulnerability May 13, 2026
  • CVE-2026-42930 Appliance mode iControl REST vulnerability May 13, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2025-59481 is "BIG-IP iControl REST and tmsh vulnerability", rated High. It affects BIG-IP (F5); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.7 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.39% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

Comments

Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.

No comments yet.

Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.