Is CVE-2026-42930 exploited in the wild?

No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-42930 being exploited in the wild.

How severe is CVE-2026-42930?

High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.7, published 13 May 2026.

Which products and versions are affected?

F5 BIG-IP All versions currently under support; F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; and 1 more.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-42930?

No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

How is CVE-2026-42930 attacked?

It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

Am I affected by CVE-2026-42930?

Check whether you run F5 BIG-IP, F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF, F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

CVE-2026-42930: F5 BIG-IP Appliance mode restriction bypass via path traversal

CVE-2026-42930 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.7 · Published 2026-05-13

A vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP systems allows an administrator to bypass 'Appliance mode' security restrictions. Appliance mode is a hardened state designed to limit access to the underlying operating system for sensitive environments. An exploit could allow a high-privileged user to gain unauthorized access to system-level functions, potentially compromising the integrity of the device and the data it protects.

Technologies: F5 BIG-IP, F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF, F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager, F5 Big-Ip Local Traffic Manager. Vendors: F5.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-42930 exploited in the wild?: No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-42930 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-42930?: High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.7, published 13 May 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?: F5 BIG-IP All versions currently under support; F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0; and 1 more.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-42930?: No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2026-42930 attacked?: It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-42930?: Check whether you run F5 BIG-IP, F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF, F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

A path traversal vulnerability (CWE-35) in F5 BIG-IP allows authenticated users with the 'Administrator' role to bypass Appliance mode restrictions. Appliance mode is intended to restrict access to the bash shell and other sensitive system-level utilities. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can circumvent these hardening measures to interact with the underlying operating system. The vulnerability affects multiple BIG-IP modules including LTM, APM, and AFM across versions 16.1.x, 17.5.x, and 21.0.0. F5 has released advisory K000160876 to address this issue.

Affected products

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0
F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager 16.1.0 - 16.1.6, 17.5.0 - 17.5.1, 21.0.0

Timeline

2026-05-13: advisory: Initial publication of the vulnerability advisory

References

https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000160876

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