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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2019-6685

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.1.3.2 / 14.0.1.1 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
On BIG-IP versions 15.0.0-15.0.1.1, 14.1.0-14.1.2.2, 14.0.0-14.0.1, 13.1.0-13.1.3.1, 12.1.0-12.1.5, and 11.5.2-11.6.5.1, users with access to edit iRules are able to create iRules which can lead to an elevation of privilege, configuration modification, and arbitrary system command execution.

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

F5 BIG-IP iRule scripting feature allows users with edit permissions to write Tcl-based scripts that can execute arbitrary system commands, modify configurations, and escalate privileges beyond their intended access level.

MitigationRestrict iRule edit permissions to only trusted administrators and apply vendor patches for affected versions (15.1.x, 14.1.x, 14.0.x, 13.1.x, 12.1.x, 11.5.x-11.6.x).

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 Access Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Edge GatewayWeb browser
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:>= 11.5.2, <= 11.6.5>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, < 13.1.3.2>= 14.0.0, < 14.0.1.1>= 14.1.0, < 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, < 15.1.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 BIG-IP product version
    Run command 'tmsh show sys version' or check the F5 management console for the installed version under System > Software Management > Volume
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 11.5.2-11.6.5, 12.1.0-12.1.5, 13.1.0-13.1.3.2, 14.0.0-14.0.1.1, 14.1.0-14.1.2.3, or 15.0.0-15.1.0
  2. Determine if iRule functionality is in use
    Run 'tmsh list ltm rule' to list all iRules configured on the system, or check the BIG-IP console under Local Traffic > iRules
    Affected if Any iRules are defined and active on the device, indicating the vulnerable feature is enabled
  3. Check for users with iRule edit permissions
    Run 'tmsh list auth user' and review the role assignments, or check under User Management > User Roles in the console for accounts with 'Advanced' or 'Resource Administrator' roles that can modify iRules
    Affected if Any user account possesses edit or administrator privileges on iRules beyond the minimal required for their role

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is within the vulnerable ranges AND iRules are actively configured AND users with edit permissions to iRules exist on the system.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.1.3.2 / 14.0.1.1 / 14.1.2.3 or later
Fixed in 13.1.3.214.0.1.114.1.2.3
Interim mitigation

Restrict iRule edit permissions to only trusted administrators and apply vendor patches for affected versions (15.1.x, 14.1.x, 14.0.x, 13.1.x, 12.1.x, 11.5.x-11.6.x).

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,330
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,728.

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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-2019-6685 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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