CVE-2021-22995 in BIG-IQ
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2021
On all 7.x and 6.x versions (fixed in 8.0.0), BIG-IQ high availability (HA) when using a Quorum device for automatic failover does not implement any form of authentication with the Corosync daemon. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Software Development (EoSD) are not evaluated.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2026
This vulnerability exists in BIG-IQ versions 7.x and 6.x where the high availability configuration utilizes a Quorum device to facilitate automatic failover operations. The critical security flaw lies in the absence of authentication mechanisms between the BIG-IQ system and the Corosync daemon, which is responsible for maintaining cluster membership and communication in the high availability environment. Without proper authentication, any entity with network access to the Corosync communication channels can potentially manipulate the failover process and compromise the integrity of the high availability configuration.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the design decision to omit authentication checks when establishing connections between the BIG-IQ management interface and the underlying Corosync clustering service. This creates an attack surface where malicious actors could exploit the lack of credential verification to inject false cluster membership information, manipulate failover decisions, or disrupt the normal operation of the high availability cluster. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-305 authentication bypass and CWE-287 improper authentication, as it allows unauthorized entities to perform privileged operations without proper verification of credentials or identities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on BIG-IQ high availability configurations for critical network infrastructure management. An attacker who gains access to the network segment where Corosync communication occurs could potentially cause unauthorized failovers, leading to service disruptions, data inconsistencies, or complete system unavailability. The attack could be executed from within the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no specialized external tools or techniques beyond basic network reconnaissance and access to the relevant communication channels.
Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation controls to restrict access to Corosync communication ports and interfaces, ensuring that only authorized management systems can communicate with the Corosync daemon. Network access control lists should be configured to limit traffic to specific IP addresses or ranges that are authorized to interact with the clustering services. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous Corosync communication patterns that might indicate unauthorized access attempts. The recommended mitigation strategy aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 legitimate credentials and T1566 credential harvesting, as it addresses the fundamental issue of unauthorized access to privileged system services through the elimination of authentication requirements. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to BIG-IQ version 8.0.0 or later, which contains the necessary authentication mechanisms to prevent this vulnerability from being exploited.