CVE-2025-36546Network attack vector

Remote root access via retained SSH key

Published May 7, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Incorrect authorization in affected F5OS-A and F5OS-C releases allows remote attackers with a root SSH private key to retain root access. The Appliance Mode transition fails to invalidate an already configured root authorized key, leaving SSH public-key authentication enabled. Exploitation requires Appliance Mode to be enabled after the key is configured and possession of the matching root private key, granting full root control.

CVSS severity8.1
High
EPSS probability0.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in affected F5OS-A and F5OS-C releases allows remote attackers with a root SSH private key to retain root access. The Appliance Mode transition fails to invalidate an already configured root authorized key, leaving SSH public-key authentication enabled. Exploitation requires Appliance Mode to be enabled after the key is configured and possession of the matching root private key, granting full root control.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-36546
Published
May 7, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
F5OS-A
Classifications
CWE-863, T1078, T1021.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1.5.1 <1.5.3
  2. Affected versionversion=1.7.0 <1.8.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

F5 Networks · F5OS-Aversion=1.5.1 <1.5.3; version=1.7.0 <1.8.0
F5 Networks · F5OS-Cversion=1.6.0 <1.8.0

Published CVSS scores

9.2F5CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
8.1F5CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1078Valid Accounts
T1021.004Remote Services: SSH

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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