Nginx ControllerWeb server / proxy · F5
CVE-2020-5894
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 versions 3.0.0-3.3.0, the NGINX Controller webserver does not invalidate the server-side session token after users log out.
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 confidenceThe NGINX Controller webserver versions 3.0.0-3.3.0 fails to invalidate server-side session tokens upon user logout. This allows an attacker who obtains a valid session token to continue using it even after the legitimate user has logged out, potentially leading to session hijacking.
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
Nginx ControllerWeb server / proxy
>= 3.0.0, <= 3.3.0CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify NGINX Controller installationLocate the F5 NGINX Controller service by checking running processes or installed packages on the system using standard system administration toolsAffected if NGINX Controller is installed and running
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Determine installed versionAccess the NGINX Controller admin UI or API to retrieve the current software version, typically found in the product About or Settings sectionAffected if The version displayed is 3.0.0 through 3.3.0 inclusive
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Verify authentication is enabledConfirm that user authentication to the NGINX Controller web interface is active and functionalAffected if Users can log in to the controller interface
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Confirm session handling behaviorLog in, obtain a session token, log out, then attempt to use the original session token to make an API request or access the interfaceAffected if The original session token remains valid after logout, indicating session tokens are not being invalidated
The environment is affected if NGINX Controller version is between 3.0.0 and 3.3.0 and user authentication sessions are in use, since logout does not invalidate the session tokens.
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 dataImplement server-side session token invalidation logic that destroys or marks session tokens as invalid immediately upon user logout.
Fix this in Nginx Controller
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5894 — 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-2020-5894 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
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