CVE-2016-5736

CVE-2016-5736 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-284.

Key facts

Description

The default configuration of the IPsec IKE peer listener in F5 BIG-IP LTM, Analytics, APM, ASM, and Link Controller 11.2.1 before HF16, 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, 11.6.x before 11.6.1, and 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP AAM, AFM, and PEM 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, 11.6.x before 11.6.1, and 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP DNS 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP Edge Gateway, WebAccelerator, and WOM 11.2.1 before HF16; BIG-IP GTM 11.2.1 before HF16, 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, and 11.6.x before 11.6.1; and BIG-IP PSM 11.4.0 through 11.4.1 improperly enables the anonymous IPsec IKE peer configuration object, which allows remote attackers to establish an IKE Phase 1 negotiation and possibly conduct brute-force attacks against Phase 2 negotiations via unspecified vectors.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5736?
The default configuration of the IPsec IKE peer listener in F5 BIG-IP LTM, Analytics, APM, ASM, and Link Controller 11.2.1 before HF16, 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, 11.6.x before 11.6.1, and 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP AAM, AFM, and PEM 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, 11.6.x before 11.6.1, and 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP DNS 12.x before 12.0.0 HF2; BIG-IP Edge Gateway, WebAccelerator, and WOM 11.2.1 before HF16; BIG-IP GTM 11.2.1 before HF16, 11.4.x, 11.5.x before 11.5.4 HF2, and 11.6.x before 11.6.1; and BIG-IP PSM 11.4.0 through 11.4.1 improperly enables the anonymous IPsec IKE peer configuration object, which allows remote attackers to establish an IKE Phase 1 negotiation and possibly conduct brute-force attacks against Phase 2 negotiations via unspecified vectors.
How severe is CVE-2016-5736?
CVE-2016-5736 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-5736 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5736?
CVE-2016-5736 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Application Acceleration Manager. In total, 94 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5736?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-5736 published?
CVE-2016-5736 was published on 2016-08-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (94)

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