Unauthenticated code execution via stack buffer overflow
Published Oct 15, 2025 · Updated Oct 15, 2025
Stack-based buffer overflow in F5 BIG-IP APM affected releases allows remote attackers to execute code via specific malicious traffic. TMM writes beyond a stack buffer while processing the traffic through an APM access policy; F5 has not disclosed the exact parser or field. Exploitation requires an APM access policy on a virtual server and needs no authentication or user interaction, yielding code execution in TMM's security context.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in F5 BIG-IP APM affected releases allows remote attackers to execute code via specific malicious traffic. TMM writes beyond a stack buffer while processing the traffic through an APM access policy; F5 has not disclosed the exact parser or field. Exploitation requires an APM access policy on a virtual server and needs no authentication or user interaction, yielding code execution in TMM's security context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-53521
- Published
- Oct 15, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 15, 2025
- Vendor
- F5 Networks
- Product
- BIG-IP
- Classifications
- CWE-121, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 15, 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=15.1.0 <15.1.10.8
- Affected versionversion=16.1.0 <16.1.6.1
- Affected versionversion=17.1.0 <17.1.3
- Affected versionversion=17.5.0 <17.5.1.3
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entryknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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