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Big Ip Access Policy ManagerApplication · F5

CVE-2020-5908

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 12.1.5 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
In versions bundled with BIG-IP APM 12.1.0-12.1.5 and 11.6.1-11.6.5.2, Edge Client for Linux exposes full session ID in the local log files.

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

The F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client for Linux versions 12.1.0-12.1.5 and 11.6.1-11.6.5.2 writes complete session IDs in plaintext to local log files. A local attacker with read access to these logs can capture valid session IDs and potentially hijack user sessions.

MitigationImplement session ID redaction in the Edge Client logging functionality to prevent full session IDs from being written to log files. Alternatively, restrict log file permissions to prevent unauthorized access.

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:>= 11.6.1, <= 11.6.5.2>= 12.1.0, <= 12.1.5

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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. Confirm F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client for Linux is installed
    Check for the presence of the F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client software on the Linux system. Look for F5-related packages or client executables using system package managers or file system searches.
    Affected if The Edge Client software is installed on the system.
  2. Verify the installed version against affected ranges
    Determine the installed version of the F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client for Linux. Compare this version to the affected ranges: 11.6.1 through 11.6.5.2, or 12.1.0 through 12.1.5.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 11.6.1-11.6.5.2 or 12.1.0-12.1.5.
  3. Identify Edge Client log file locations
    Locate log files created by the F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client. Common locations may include /var/log, user home directories, or application-specific log directories. Search for log files containing references to F5, APM, Edge Client, or session-related entries.
    Affected if Log files created by the Edge Client exist on the system.
  4. Inspect log files for plaintext session IDs
    Examine the identified log files for the presence of complete session ID strings. Look for patterns resembling session identifiers (typically longer alphanumeric strings) appearing in plaintext within log entries.
    Affected if Log files contain complete, unredacted session ID values.
  5. Check log file permissions
    Review the permissions on the Edge Client log files to determine if they are readable by non-privileged users or users other than the owner.
    Affected if Log files are readable by users other than the owner or by non-privileged accounts.

The system is affected if the F5 BIG-IP APM Edge Client for Linux is installed with a version between 11.6.1-11.6.5.2 or 12.1.0-12.1.5 and its log files contain plaintext session IDs accessible to unauthorized users.

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 12.1.5
Interim mitigation

Implement session ID redaction in the Edge Client logging functionality to prevent full session IDs from being written to log files. Alternatively, restrict log file permissions to prevent unauthorized access.

Fix this in Big Ip Access Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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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-2020-5908 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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