How severe is CVE-2021-22992?

CVE-2021-22992 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-22992 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 73% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-22992?

CVE-2021-22992 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-22992?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-22992 published?

CVE-2021-22992 was published on 2021-03-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-22992

CVE-2021-22992 is a critical-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 73% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 73% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager
Published: 2021-03-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

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, 12.1.x before 12.1.5.3, and 11.6.x before 11.6.5.3, a malicious HTTP response to an Advanced WAF/BIG-IP ASM virtual server with Login Page configured in its policy may trigger a buffer overflow, resulting in a DoS attack. In certain situations, it may allow remote code execution (RCE), leading to complete system compromise. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-22992?: 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, 12.1.x before 12.1.5.3, and 11.6.x before 11.6.5.3, a malicious HTTP response to an Advanced WAF/BIG-IP ASM virtual server with Login Page configured in its policy may trigger a buffer overflow, resulting in a DoS attack. In certain situations, it may allow remote code execution (RCE), leading to complete system compromise. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.
How severe is CVE-2021-22992?: CVE-2021-22992 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-22992 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 73% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-22992?: CVE-2021-22992 primarily affects F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22992?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-22992 published?: CVE-2021-22992 was published on 2021-03-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K52510511

Affected products (14)

cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_access_policy_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_firewall_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_advanced_web_application_firewall:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_analytics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_application_acceleration_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_application_security_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_ddos_hybrid_defender:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_domain_name_system:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_fraud_protection_service:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_global_traffic_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_link_controller:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_local_traffic_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:big-ip_policy_enforcement_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:ssl_orchestrator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager

CVE-2023-41373 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A directory traversal vulnerability exists in the BIG-IP Configuration Utility that may allow an authenticated attacker…
CVE-2021-22987 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): 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, 12.1.x…
CVE-2025-53521 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): When a BIG-IP APM access policy is configured on a virtual server, specific malicious traffic can lead to Remote Code…
CVE-2023-46747 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Undisclosed requests may bypass configuration utility authentication, allowing an attacker with network access to the…
CVE-2022-1388 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): On F5 BIG-IP 16.1.x versions prior to 16.1.2.2, 15.1.x versions prior to 15.1.5.1, 14.1.x versions prior to 14.1.4.6,…
CVE-2021-23008 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): On version 15.1.x before 15.1.3, 14.1.x before 14.1.4, 13.1.x before 13.1.4, 12.1.x before 12.1.6, and all versions of…

All CVEs affecting F5 Big-ip Access Policy Manager →

Other CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-48611 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): In DeviceId of DeviceId.java, there is a possible desync in persistence due to a missing bounds check. This could lead…
CVE-2026-24823 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in FASTSHIFT…
CVE-2026-24810 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in rethinkdb (src/cjson modules).…
CVE-2026-24800 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in tildearrow…
CVE-2025-9962 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A buffer overflow vulnerability in Novakon P series allows attackers to gain root permission without prior…
CVE-2010-10016 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): BS.Player version 2.57 (build 1051) contains a vulnerability in its playlist import functionality. When processing .m3u…

Browse all CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities →