CVE-2021-22999 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A detailed overview of CVE-2021-22999 affecting BIG-IP systems, versions 15.0.x before 15.1.0 and 14.1.x before 14.1.4.

Understanding CVE-2021-22999

This section dives into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies related to CVE-2021-22999.

What is CVE-2021-22999?

CVE-2021-22999 impacts BIG-IP systems, allowing HTTP/2 clients to connect to HTTP/1.x servers. Slow client responses can lead to unclosed streams retention by the system.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20657

The vulnerability can cause Denial of Service (DoS) as the BIG-IP system may indefinitely retain streams when clients close connections prematurely.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-22999

Learn more about the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

On specific versions of BIG-IP, slow client responses can lead to unclosed streams retention, potentially causing resource exhaustion.

Affected Systems and Versions

BIG-IP versions 15.0.x before 15.1.0 and 14.1.x before 14.1.4 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this flaw by sending a series of slow HTTP/2 requests, causing the system to retain streams indefinitely.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover immediate steps to take and long-term security practices to safeguard systems against CVE-2021-22999.

Immediate Steps to Take

Consider updating to non-impacted versions or applying vendor-supplied patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network-based firewalls and regularly monitor and audit network traffic to detect and prevent DoS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and promptly apply patches from the provider to address known vulnerabilities.