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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2020-5887

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 15.1.0.1 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
On versions 15.1.0-15.1.0.1, 15.0.0-15.0.1.2, and 14.1.0-14.1.2.3, BIG-IP Virtual Edition (VE) may expose a mechanism for remote attackers to access local daemons and bypass port lockdown settings.

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

CVE-2020-5887 is a critical vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition versions 15.1.0-15.1.0.1, 15.0.0-15.0.1.2, and 14.1.0-14.1.2.3 that allows remote attackers to bypass port lockdown settings and access local daemons, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP VE to a version beyond 15.1.0.1, 15.0.1.2, or 14.1.2.3 as specified in F5 security advisory, and review port lockdown configurations to ensure only intended services are exposed.

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:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Link ControllerApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1
Big Ip Local Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.3>= 15.0.0, <= 15.0.1.2>= 15.1.0, <= 15.1.0.1

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
None

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

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. Determine BIG-IP version
    Log into the Traffic Management Shell (tmsh) and run 'show /sys version' or in bash run 'cat /etc/product_version'. Note the full version string (for example, 15.1.0.1).
    Affected if The installed version falls within 14.1.0 to 14.1.2.3, 15.0.0 to 15.0.1.2, or 15.1.0 to 15.1.0.1.
  2. Identify licensed modules
    In tmsh, run 'list /sys license' or 'show /sys license' to see which modules are licensed. Common affected modules include APM (Access Policy Manager), LTM (Local Traffic Manager), ASM (Application Security Manager), AFM (Advanced Firewall Manager), and others listed in the affected products.
    Affected if Any of the affected modules (APM, AFM, Analytics, AAM, ASM, Fraud Protection Service, Link Controller, or LTM) are licensed and running.
  3. Review port lockdown settings
    In tmsh, run 'list /net self-allow' to display the port lockdown settings for self IP addresses. Alternatively, check each self IP with 'show /net self <self-ip-name>'.
    Affected if Port lockdown is not configured or is set to allow default (allow all) on self IP addresses.
  4. Verify network exposure
    Check the management interface and self IP addresses accessible from untrusted networks. Run 'list /net self' in tmsh to see all self IPs and their associated VLANs. Confirm whether management or self IPs are reachable from external networks.
    Affected if The BIG-IP management interface or self IPs are exposed to untrusted networks without proper firewall restrictions.

The environment is affected if running a vulnerable BIG-IP version (14.1.0-14.1.2.3, 15.0.0-15.0.1.2, or 15.1.0-15.1.0.1) with any of the affected modules licensed, combined with port lockdown misconfigurations or exposed network interfaces.

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 15.1.0.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade BIG-IP VE to a version beyond 15.1.0.1, 15.0.1.2, or 14.1.2.3 as specified in F5 security advisory, and review port lockdown configurations to ensure only intended services are exposed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to BIG-IP 14.1.2.4 or later, 15.0.1.3 or later, or 15.1.0.2 or later (or latest stable 15.1.x/16.x release)

  1. 1. Identify the current BIG-IP version by running `tmsh show sys version` or checking the web UI at System > Software > Image List
  2. 2. Determine which BIG-IP module (APM, AFM, Analytics, AAM, ASM, FPS, LC, LTM) is affected in your deployment
  3. 3. Download the fixed version from F5 Downloads (support.f5.com) - look for versions 14.1.2.4+, 15.0.1.3+, or 15.1.0.2+
  4. 4. Verify the target version is compatible with your hardware platform and other deployed modules
  5. 5. Backup the BIG-IP configuration using `tmsh save sys config`
  6. 6. Upload the ISO image to the BIG-IP via the web UI (System > Software > Image List) or SCP
  7. 7. Install the new version: In web UI go to System > Software > Volume, create a new volume with the installed image, and boot to that volume
  8. 8. After upgrade, verify port lockdown settings are still properly configured in Network > Port Lockdown
Caveat Review F5 release notes for any compatibility changes between your current and target version; some upgrades may require platform firmware updates

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

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
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

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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-2020-5887 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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