CVE-2025-53521 (GCVE-0-2025-53521)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2025-10-15 13:55
Modified
2026-03-31 16:04
Severity ?
9.8 (Critical) - CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.3 (Critical) - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
9.3 (Critical) - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
VLAI Severity ?
EPSS score ?
CWE
- CWE-121 - Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Summary
When a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).
Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
References
| URL | Tags | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
Impacted products
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability
Data from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
Date added: 2026-03-27
Due date: 2026-03-30
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Used in ransomware: Unknown
Notes: Please adhere to F5’s guidelines to assess exposure and mitigate risks. Check for signs of potential compromise on all internet accessible F5 products affected by this vulnerability. For more information please see: https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000156741 ; https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000160486 ; https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K11438344 ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53521
{
"containers": {
"adp": [
{
"metrics": [
{
"other": {
"content": {
"id": "CVE-2025-53521",
"options": [
{
"Exploitation": "active"
},
{
"Automatable": "yes"
},
{
"Technical Impact": "total"
}
],
"role": "CISA Coordinator",
"timestamp": "2026-03-28T03:55:47.100165Z",
"version": "2.0.3"
},
"type": "ssvc"
}
},
{
"other": {
"content": {
"dateAdded": "2026-03-27",
"reference": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-53521"
},
"type": "kev"
}
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-03-29T13:56:45.917Z",
"orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
"shortName": "CISA-ADP"
},
"references": [
{
"tags": [
"government-resource"
],
"url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-53521"
}
],
"title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
}
],
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unknown",
"modules": [
"APM"
],
"product": "BIG-IP",
"vendor": "F5",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "17.5.1.3",
"status": "affected",
"version": "17.5.0",
"versionType": "custom"
},
{
"lessThan": "17.1.3",
"status": "affected",
"version": "17.1.0",
"versionType": "custom"
},
{
"lessThan": "16.1.6.1",
"status": "affected",
"version": "16.1.0",
"versionType": "custom"
},
{
"lessThan": "15.1.10.8",
"status": "affected",
"version": "15.1.0",
"versionType": "custom"
}
]
}
],
"credits": [
{
"lang": "en",
"type": "finder",
"value": "F5 would like to thank Kristian Vlaardingerbroek, Hugo Trippaers, and other people of Schuberg Philis; Bart Vrancken; Fox-IT; and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the Netherlands for their assistance in investigating this issue and following the highest standards of coordinated disclosure."
}
],
"datePublic": "2025-10-15T14:00:00.000Z",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"supportingMedia": [
{
"base64": false,
"type": "text/html",
"value": "\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003eWhen a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).\u003c/span\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nNote: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.\n\n\u003c/span\u003e"
}
],
"value": "When a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).\u00a0\u00a0\n\nNote: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"baseScore": 9.8,
"baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"format": "CVSS",
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "GENERAL"
}
]
},
{
"cvssV4_0": {
"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
"Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackRequirements": "NONE",
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"baseScore": 9.3,
"baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
"subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
"subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
"vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
"version": "4.0",
"vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
"vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
"vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
},
"format": "CVSS",
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "GENERAL"
}
]
}
],
"problemTypes": [
{
"descriptions": [
{
"cweId": "CWE-121",
"description": "CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow",
"lang": "en",
"type": "CWE"
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-03-31T16:04:27.360Z",
"orgId": "9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab",
"shortName": "f5"
},
"references": [
{
"tags": [
"vendor-advisory"
],
"url": "https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000156741"
}
],
"source": {
"discovery": "INTERNAL"
},
"title": "BigIP APM Vulnerability",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "F5 SIRTBot v1.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab",
"assignerShortName": "f5",
"cveId": "CVE-2025-53521",
"datePublished": "2025-10-15T13:55:52.694Z",
"dateReserved": "2025-10-03T23:04:38.083Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-03-31T16:04:27.360Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"cisa_known_exploited": {
"cveID": "CVE-2025-53521",
"cwes": "[\"CWE-121\"]",
"dateAdded": "2026-03-27",
"dueDate": "2026-03-30",
"knownRansomwareCampaignUse": "Unknown",
"notes": "Please adhere to F5\u2019s guidelines to assess exposure and mitigate risks. Check for signs of potential compromise on all internet accessible F5 products affected by this vulnerability. For more information please see: https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000156741 ; https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000160486 ; https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K11438344 ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53521",
"product": "BIG-IP",
"requiredAction": "Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.",
"shortDescription": "F5 BIG-IP APM contains a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability that could allow a threat actor to achieve remote code execution.",
"vendorProject": "F5",
"vulnerabilityName": "F5 BIG-IP Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability"
},
"vulnrichment": {
"containers": "{\"adp\": [{\"title\": \"CISA ADP Vulnrichment\", \"metrics\": [{\"other\": {\"type\": \"ssvc\", \"content\": {\"id\": \"CVE-2025-53521\", \"role\": \"CISA Coordinator\", \"options\": [{\"Exploitation\": \"active\"}, {\"Automatable\": \"yes\"}, {\"Technical Impact\": \"total\"}], \"version\": \"2.0.3\", \"timestamp\": \"2026-03-28T03:55:47.100165Z\"}}}, {\"other\": {\"type\": \"kev\", \"content\": {\"dateAdded\": \"2026-03-27\", \"reference\": \"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-53521\"}}}], \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-53521\", \"tags\": [\"government-resource\"]}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0\", \"shortName\": \"CISA-ADP\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2025-10-15T15:32:22.317Z\"}}], \"cna\": {\"title\": \"BigIP APM Vulnerability\", \"source\": {\"discovery\": \"INTERNAL\"}, \"credits\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"type\": \"finder\", \"value\": \"F5\"}], \"metrics\": [{\"format\": \"CVSS\", \"cvssV3_1\": {\"scope\": \"UNCHANGED\", \"version\": \"3.1\", \"baseScore\": 9.8, \"attackVector\": \"NETWORK\", \"baseSeverity\": \"CRITICAL\", \"vectorString\": \"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\", \"integrityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"userInteraction\": \"NONE\", \"attackComplexity\": \"LOW\", \"availabilityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"privilegesRequired\": \"NONE\", \"confidentialityImpact\": \"HIGH\"}, \"scenarios\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"GENERAL\"}]}, {\"format\": \"CVSS\", \"cvssV4_0\": {\"Safety\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"version\": \"4.0\", \"Recovery\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"baseScore\": 9.3, \"Automatable\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"attackVector\": \"NETWORK\", \"baseSeverity\": \"CRITICAL\", \"valueDensity\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"vectorString\": \"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N\", \"providerUrgency\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"userInteraction\": \"NONE\", \"attackComplexity\": \"LOW\", \"attackRequirements\": \"NONE\", \"privilegesRequired\": \"NONE\", \"subIntegrityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnIntegrityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"subAvailabilityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnAvailabilityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"subConfidentialityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnConfidentialityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"vulnerabilityResponseEffort\": \"NOT_DEFINED\"}, \"scenarios\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"GENERAL\"}]}], \"affected\": [{\"vendor\": \"F5\", \"modules\": [\"APM\"], \"product\": \"BIG-IP\", \"versions\": [{\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"17.5.0\", \"lessThan\": \"17.5.1.3\", \"versionType\": \"custom\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"17.1.0\", \"lessThan\": \"17.1.3\", \"versionType\": \"custom\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"16.1.0\", \"lessThan\": \"16.1.6.1\", \"versionType\": \"custom\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"15.1.0\", \"lessThan\": \"15.1.10.8\", \"versionType\": \"custom\"}], \"defaultStatus\": \"unknown\"}], \"datePublic\": \"2025-10-15T14:00:00.000Z\", \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000156741\", \"tags\": [\"vendor-advisory\"]}], \"x_generator\": {\"engine\": \"F5 SIRTBot v1.0\"}, \"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"When a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).\\u00a0\\u00a0\\n\\nNote: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.\", \"supportingMedia\": [{\"type\": \"text/html\", \"value\": \"\u003cspan style=\\\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\\\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\\\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\\\"\u003eWhen a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).\u003c/span\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\\n\\nNote: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.\\n\\n\u003c/span\u003e\", \"base64\": false}]}], \"problemTypes\": [{\"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"type\": \"CWE\", \"cweId\": \"CWE-770\", \"description\": \"CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling\"}]}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab\", \"shortName\": \"f5\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-03-27T17:54:37.332Z\"}}}",
"cveMetadata": "{\"cveId\": \"CVE-2025-53521\", \"state\": \"PUBLISHED\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-03-29T13:56:45.917Z\", \"dateReserved\": \"2025-10-03T23:04:38.083Z\", \"assignerOrgId\": \"9dacffd4-cb11-413f-8451-fbbfd4ddc0ab\", \"datePublished\": \"2025-10-15T13:55:52.694Z\", \"assignerShortName\": \"f5\"}",
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2"
}
}
}
Loading…
Loading…
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or seen somewhere by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability is confirmed from an analyst perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: This vulnerability was exploited and seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Patched: This vulnerability was successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not exploited: This vulnerability was not exploited or seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expresses doubt about the veracity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
Loading…
Loading…