CVE-2014-2928 in BIG-IP
Summary
by MITRE
The iControl API in F5 BIG-IP LTM, APM, ASM, GTM, Link Controller, and PSM 10.0.0 through 10.2.4 and 11.0.0 through 11.5.1, BIG-IP AAM 11.4.0 through 11.5.1, BIG-IP AFM and PEM 11.3.0 through 11.5.1, BIG-IP Analytics 11.0.0 through 11.5.1, BIG-IP Edge Gateway, WebAccelerator, WOM 10.1.0 through 10.2.4 and 11.0.0 through 11.3.0, Enterprise Manager 2.1.0 through 2.3.0 and 3.0.0 through 3.1.1, and BIG-IQ Cloud, Device, and Security 4.0.0 through 4.3.0 allows remote administrators to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the hostname element in a SOAP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2928 represents a critical command injection flaw within the iControl API framework of F5 BIG-IP products across multiple modules including Local Traffic Manager APM ASM GTM Link Controller and PSM. This vulnerability affects a broad range of F5 BIG-IP versions from 10.0.0 through 10.2.4 and 11.0.0 through 11.5.1 for various modules, along with specific versions of AAM AFM PEM Analytics Edge Gateway WebAccelerator WOM and Enterprise Manager as well as BIG-IQ Cloud Device and Security platforms. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the SOAP request processing mechanism where the hostname element fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data containing shell metacharacters.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote administrators submit malicious SOAP requests containing specially crafted shell metacharacters within the hostname parameter. These metacharacters are then processed by the iControl API without proper sanitization or escaping, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary commands that execute with the privileges of the API service. This represents a classic command injection vulnerability classified under CWE-77 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in command execution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the SOAP protocol which is commonly used for administrative operations and remote management of network infrastructure components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with full command execution capabilities on affected BIG-IP systems. This allows for complete system compromise including but not limited to data exfiltration system reconnaissance privilege escalation and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects critical network security components that often serve as central points of control for enterprise network traffic management and security policies, making successful exploitation particularly damaging to organizational security postures. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, deploy malicious payloads, or use the compromised systems as launching points for further attacks against internal network resources.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by F5 as well as network segmentation to limit access to the iControl API endpoints. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious SOAP request patterns and unusual command execution behaviors. Access controls should be strengthened to ensure that only trusted administrators can submit SOAP requests to the iControl API. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter which covers the execution of commands through various interpreter environments. Additionally this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper sanitization of user-supplied data as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing API gateways and additional security controls to monitor and filter SOAP requests before they reach the vulnerable iControl API components.