CVE-2025-53868Network attack vector

Appliance mode restriction bypass

Published Oct 15, 2025 · Updated Oct 15, 2025

Command injection in F5 BIG-IP allows remote authenticated users to bypass Appliance mode restrictions through SCP or SFTP commands. F5 identifies the SCP and SFTP command-handling paths as the affected locus but has not disclosed the accepted commands or exact input-neutralization failure. Exploitation requires a highly privileged account with SCP and SFTP access on a system running in Appliance mode, permitting unauthorized access to or modification of protected system data without an availability impact.

CVSS severity8.5
High
EPSS probability0.44%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in F5 BIG-IP allows remote authenticated users to bypass Appliance mode restrictions through SCP or SFTP commands. F5 identifies the SCP and SFTP command-handling paths as the affected locus but has not disclosed the accepted commands or exact input-neutralization failure. Exploitation requires a highly privileged account with SCP and SFTP access on a system running in Appliance mode, permitting unauthorized access to or modification of protected system data without an availability impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-53868
Published
Oct 15, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2025
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
BIG-IP
Classifications
CWE-78, T1059
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 15, 2025Record 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=15.1.0 <15.1.10.8
  2. Affected versionversion=16.1.0 <16.1.6.1
  3. Affected versionversion=17.1.0 <17.1.3
  4. Affected versionversion=17.5.0 <17.5.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

F5 Networks · BIG-IPversion=15.1.0 <15.1.10.8; version=16.1.0 <16.1.6.1; version=17.1.0 <17.1.3; version=17.5.0 <17.5.1

Published CVSS scores

8.5F5 NetworksCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
8.7F5 NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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