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Big Ip Local Traffic ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2019-6644

CRITICAL · 9.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-09-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 13.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Similar to the issue identified in CVE-2018-12120, on versions 14.1.0-14.1.0.5, 14.0.0-14.0.0.4, 13.0.0-13.1.2, and 12.1.0-12.1.4 BIG-IP will bind a debug nodejs process to all interfaces when invoked. This may expose the process to unauthorized users if the plugin is left in debug mode and the port is accessible.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A debug nodejs process in F5 BIG-IP versions 12.1.0-14.1.0.5 binds to all network interfaces when debug mode is enabled, similar to CVE-2018-12120. This exposes the process on all reachable network ports, allowing unauthorized remote attackers to access potentially sensitive debug functionality.

MitigationDisable debug mode for any plugin or service on the BIG-IP device and ensure no nodejs processes are bound to 0.0.0.0; restrict to localhost only if debugging is absolutely necessary in non-production environments.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Big Ip Local Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Edge GatewayWeb browser
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.3, <= 12.1.4>= 13.0.0, <= 13.1.2= 14.0.0= 14.1.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed BIG-IP version
    Run 'tmsh show sys version' or check the BIG-IP web UI under Diagnostics > Software Status > Volume to see the installed version.
    Affected if The version falls within 12.1.3-12.1.4, 13.0.0-13.1.2, 14.0.0, or 14.1.0-14.1.0.5.
  2. Locate running nodejs processes
    Run 'ps aux | grep node' on the BIG-IP command line to list all running node.js processes.
    Affected if Any nodejs processes are running on the system.
  3. Check nodejs debug port bindings
    Run 'netstat -tlnp | grep node' or 'ss -tlnp | grep node' to see which network addresses the nodejs processes are listening on.
    Affected if Any nodejs process is bound to 0.0.0.0 or ::: instead of 127.0.0.1 or ::1 (localhost only).
  4. Inspect debug mode configuration
    Search configuration files in /var/config/restjavad or similar directories for debug-related settings, or check /etc/node.conf if present, for entries that enable debug mode.
    Affected if Debug mode is explicitly enabled for any nodejs-based service or plugin.

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is in the affected range AND a nodejs debug process is bound to all network interfaces (0.0.0.0) rather than localhost only.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 13.1.2
Interim mitigation

Disable debug mode for any plugin or service on the BIG-IP device and ensure no nodejs processes are bound to 0.0.0.0; restrict to localhost only if debugging is absolutely necessary in non-production environments.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the latest hotfix in your current major version branch (14.1.0.6+, 14.0.0.5+, 13.1.3+, or 12.1.5+) or upgrade to BIG-IP 15.x or later which is not listed as affected

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP version by running `tmsh show sys version` or checking the web UI (System > Software > Image List)
  2. 2. Download the appropriate fixed version from F5 Downloads (support.f5.com) - look for the latest hotfix version in your respective branch that is higher than the vulnerable versions listed
  3. 3. For BIG-IP 14.1.x: upgrade to 14.1.0.6 or later
  4. 4. For BIG-IP 14.0.x: upgrade to 14.0.0.5 or later
  5. 5. For BIG-IP 13.1.x: upgrade to 13.1.3 or later
  6. 6. For BIG-IP 12.1.x: upgrade to 12.1.5 or later
  7. 7. Upload the ISO image via the web UI (System > Software > Upload) or via SCP/tftp
  8. 8. Install the new volume using `tmsh install sys software <volume-name> <image-file>`
Caveat Review F5 release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes between versions; test in staging environment before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Big Ip Local Traffic Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,440
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,304.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-6644 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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