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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2020-5903

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 15.1.0 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
In BIG-IP versions 15.0.0-15.1.0.3, 14.1.0-14.1.2.5, 13.1.0-13.1.3.3, 12.1.0-12.1.5.1, a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility.

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 confidence

A Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in an undisclosed page of the BIG-IP Configuration utility across multiple versions (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). The CVSS 6.1 score suggests a reflected XSS vulnerability allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into the configuration interface.

MitigationUpgrade BIG-IP to the patched versions specified in F5 advisory, and restrict network access to the Configuration utility to trusted admin networks until patching is possible.

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:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Advanced Firewall ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip AnalyticsApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Acceleration ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Application Security ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Domain Name SystemApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Fraud Protection ServiceApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 15.0.0, <= 15.1.0
Big Ip Global Traffic ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5>= 13.1.0, <= 13.1.3>= 14.1.0, <= 14.1.2>= 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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. Check BIG-IP version
    Run `tmsh show /sys version` or access the Configuration utility and check the System > Software Information page for the installed version
    Affected if The installed version falls within 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
  2. Identify enabled modules
    Run `tmsh list /sys module` to list all loaded BIG-IP modules
    Affected if Any of the following modules are enabled: APM, AFM, Analytics, AAM, ASM, DNS, FPS, or GTM (these modules indicate the affected installation type)
  3. Verify Configuration utility accessibility
    Check if the BIG-IP Configuration utility web interface (typically ports 443, 8443) is reachable from network paths beyond trusted admin networks
    Affected if The Configuration utility is exposed to untrusted networks (not limited to admin/VPN access only)
  4. Confirm management interface status
    Review network access lists or run `tmsh list /sys httpd` to check the management SSL profile bindings and allowed source addresses
    Affected if The management interface allows HTTP/HTTPS connections from non-trusted sources

You are affected if your BIG-IP version is within the affected ranges AND the Configuration utility is accessible from networks outside your trusted admin perimeter.

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 a release after 15.1.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade BIG-IP to the patched versions specified in F5 advisory, and restrict network access to the Configuration utility to trusted admin networks until patching is possible.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
25.0 hours of engineering $4,400
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,040.

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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-2020-5903 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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