Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5
CVE-2020-5861
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 · uneditedOn BIG-IP 12.1.0-12.1.5, the TMM process may produce a core file in some cases when Ram Cache incorrectly optimizes stored data resulting in memory errors.
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 · moderate confidenceIn BIG-IP 12.1.0-12.1.5, the TMM (Traffic Management Microkernel) process has a flaw in Ram Cache where it incorrectly optimizes stored data, causing memory errors that may result in core file generation and potential denial of service.
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
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5
Big Ip Global Traffic ManagerApplication
>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine BIG-IP versionRun `tmsh show sys version` or check `/var/lib/dpkg/base-version` to obtain the installed BIG-IP versionAffected if The version falls within 12.1.0 to 12.1.5 inclusive
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Verify TMM is runningRun `tmsh show sys tmm-info` to confirm the Traffic Management Microkernel process is activeAffected if TMM is running (this is the default and required for the vulnerability to be exploitable)
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Check if Ram Cache is enabledRun `tmsh show ltm ramcache` or inspect the TMM configuration via `tmsh list ltm ramcache` to see if the RAM cache feature is configuredAffected if Ram Cache is enabled in the TMM configuration
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Look for core files indicating memory errorsCheck the core dump directory (typically `/var/core` or as configured in `tmsh list sys core`) for recent core files associated with the TMM processAffected if Core files exist and were generated around the time of potential exploitation
The environment is affected if BIG-IP version is between 12.1.0 and 12.1.5 inclusive, TMM is running, and Ram Cache is enabled, or if TMM core files are present indicating the memory error condition.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade BIG-IP to a version beyond 12.1.5 where the Ram Cache memory error is resolved, or apply available F5 patches for this vulnerability.
Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5861 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-5861 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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