Authenticated command execution via RPM spec injection
Published Dec 7, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025
Command injection in F5 BIG-IP 13.1.x through 17.0.x allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands through iControl REST. The rpm-spec-creator endpoint inserts newline-bearing JSON fields into an RPM spec without neutralizing directives; build-package then runs injected %check shell commands. Resource Administrator or greater privileges and Appliance mode are required, and successful commands run as root outside the restricted shell.
Summary
What happened
Command injection in F5 BIG-IP 13.1.x through 17.0.x allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands through iControl REST. The rpm-spec-creator endpoint inserts newline-bearing JSON fields into an RPM spec without neutralizing directives; build-package then runs injected %check shell commands. Resource Administrator or greater privileges and Appliance mode are required, and successful commands run as root outside the restricted shell.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-41800
- Published
- Dec 7, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2025
- Vendor
- F5 Networks
- Product
- BIG-IP
- Classifications
- CWE-77, T1059.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 7, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=13.1.x
- Affected versionversion=14.1.x
- Affected versionversion=15.1.x
- Affected versionversion=16.1.x
- Affected versionversion=17.0.x
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Rapid7 RPM spec injection demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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