CVE-2021-22978

Severity: high (CVSS 8.3 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2021-02-12 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-79

Description

On BIG-IP version 16.0.x before 16.0.1, 15.1.x before 15.1.1, 14.1.x before 14.1.3.1, 13.1.x before 13.1.3.5, and all 12.1.x and 11.6.x versions, undisclosed endpoints in iControl REST allow for a reflected XSS attack, which could lead to a complete compromise of BIG-IP if the victim user is granted the admin role. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.

Affected products

F5 BIG-IP APM: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
BIG-IP: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Analytics: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Networks, Inc. BIG-IP (AAM): from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
BIG-IP ASM: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Ddos Hybrid Defender: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 BIG-IP DNS: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Fraud Protection Service: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Global Traffic Manager: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Link Controller: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 BIG-IP (LTM): from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Networks, Inc. BIG-IP (PEM): from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1
F5 Big-Ip Ssl Orchestrator: from 11.6.1 through 11.6.5; from 12.1.0 through 12.1.5; from 13.1.0 before 13.1.3.5; from 14.1.0 before 14.1.3.1; from 15.1.0 before 15.1.1; from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1 — fixed in 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: F5 BIG-IP APM 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; BIG-IP 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Analytics 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Networks, Inc. BIG-IP (AAM) 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; BIG-IP ASM 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Ddos Hybrid Defender 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 BIG-IP DNS 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Fraud Protection Service 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Global Traffic Manager 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 Big-Ip Link Controller 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1; F5 BIG-IP (LTM) 13.1.3.5, 14.1.3.1, 15.1.1, 16.0.1. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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