# CVE-2025-20029: BIG-IP iControl REST and tmsh vulnerability

> An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary system commands via the iControl REST and tmsh save command in F5 BIG-IP.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mhcp-fqhx-3jmp

## What is CVE-2025-20029?

CVE-2025-20029 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 5 Feb 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Command injection vulnerability exists in iControl REST and BIG-IP TMOS Shell (tmsh) save command, which may allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary system commands.

 

Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20029?

It affects 21 products.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager, F5 Big-Ip Advanced Web Application Firewall, F5 Big-Ip Analytics, F5 Big-Ip Application Acceleration Manager, F5 Big-Ip Application Security Manager, F5 Big-Ip Application Visibility and Reporting, F5 Big-Ip Automation Toolchain, F5 Big-Ip Carrier-Grade Nat, F5 Big-Ip Container Ingress Services, F5 Big-Ip Ddos Hybrid Defender, F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System, F5 Big-Ip Edge Gateway, F5 Big-Ip Fraud Protection Service, F5 Big-Ip Global Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Link Controller, F5 Big-Ip Local Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager, F5 Big-Ip Ssl Orchestrator, F5 Big-Ip Webaccelerator and 1 more.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20029?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20029 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20029 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-20029 exists.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2025-20029: Command Injection in TMSH CLI in F5 BIG-IP (github_poc): https://github.com/mbadanoiu/CVE-2025-20029
- Simulated environment for CVE-2025-20029 using Docker. Includes PoC and auto-reporting. (github_poc): https://github.com/schoi1337/CVE-2025-20029-simulation

## Other vulnerabilities in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager

- [CVE-2023-46747](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46747/): F5 BIG-IP Configuration Utility Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-1388](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1388/): F5 BIG-IP Missing Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22986/): F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22991/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management Microkernel Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-5902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5902/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-20029 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20029 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 5 Feb 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-20029 exists.

Affected product: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20029/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20029/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20029
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20029
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20029

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20029/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
