CVE-2026-20916Network attack vector

Authenticated arbitrary file write via path traversal

Published May 13, 2026 · Updated May 13, 2026

Path traversal in F5 BIG-IQ Centralized Management 8.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to create or modify arbitrary files. An undisclosed iControl REST endpoint fails to confine a low-privileged account's pathname input to an authorized directory before writing. Any low-privileged iControl REST account can alter files reachable by the service, causing integrity loss or service interruption without disclosed file-reading capability.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability0.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Path traversal in F5 BIG-IQ Centralized Management 8.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to create or modify arbitrary files. An undisclosed iControl REST endpoint fails to confine a low-privileged account's pathname input to an authorized directory before writing. Any low-privileged iControl REST account can alter files reachable by the service, causing integrity loss or service interruption without disclosed file-reading capability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-20916
Published
May 13, 2026
Updated
May 13, 2026
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
BIG-IQ Centralized Management
Classifications
CWE-22
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 13, 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=8.4.0 <8.4.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

F5 Networks · BIG-IQ Centralized Managementversion=8.4.0 <8.4.1

Published CVSS scores

7.2F5 NetworksCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
8.1F5 NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo