Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5
CVE-2020-5897
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 · uneditedIn versions 7.1.5-7.1.9, there is use-after-free memory vulnerability in the BIG-IP Edge Client Windows ActiveX component.
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 confidenceUse-after-free memory vulnerability in the BIG-IP Edge Client Windows ActiveX component affecting versions 7.1.5 through 7.1.9. This memory corruption flaw could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by freeing memory that is still being accessed.
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
>= 11.6.1, <= 11.6.5.1>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5.1>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2.5>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0.3
Big Ip Access Policy Manager ClientApplication
>= 7.1.5, <= 7.1.9CVSS 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
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed BIG-IP Edge Client versionCheck the installed version of BIG-IP Edge Client Windows by reviewing the program's version information in Add/Remove Programs or by examining the executable file properties. Look for the ActiveX component version information.Affected if The installed version is 7.1.5 through 7.1.9 inclusive
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Verify ActiveX component presenceCheck if the F5 BIG-IP Edge Client ActiveX component (typically registered as an ActiveX control) is installed on the Windows system. This can be done by examining registered ActiveX controls in the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units or checking for F5-related ActiveX DLL files in the installation directory.Affected if The ActiveX component is present on the system
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Confirm ActiveX is enabled in Internet Explorer or EdgeInspect browser settings or registry to determine whether the F5 ActiveX control is allowed to run. Check browser security settings or look for corresponding registry entries under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallWhitelist or similar browser plugin/extension locations.Affected if The ActiveX component is enabled and permitted to run in the browser environment
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Check BIG-IP APM versionIf the system runs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, determine the APM version by reviewing the BIG-IP system version through the management interface or by running 'tmsh show sys version' on the BIG-IP device itself.Affected if The APM version falls within 11.6.1-11.6.5.1, 12.1.0-12.1.5.1, 13.1.0-13.1.3.3, 14.1.0-14.1.2.5, or 15.0.0-15.1.0.3 AND the Edge Client Windows ActiveX component is deployed
You are affected if BIG-IP Edge Client Windows with ActiveX component version 7.1.5 through 7.1.9 is installed and enabled, or if running a vulnerable BIG-IP APM version with the associated client deployed.
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 Edge Client to a version beyond 7.1.9, or disable the vulnerable ActiveX component if upgrading is not immediately feasible.
Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5897 — 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-2020-5897 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data