Nginx ControllerWeb server / proxy · F5
CVE-2020-5910
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 3.0.0-3.5.0, 2.0.0-2.9.0, and 1.0.1, the Neural Autonomic Transport System (NATS) messaging services in use by the NGINX Controller do not require any form of authentication, so any successful connection would be authorized.
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 NATS (Neural Autonomic Transport System) messaging service used by NGINX Controller in versions 1.0.1, 2.0.0-2.9.0, and 3.0.0-3.5.0 does not require any form of authentication. Any user who can establish a network connection to the NATS service is automatically authorized, allowing unauthenticated access to send and receive messages within the NGINX Controller infrastructure.
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
>= 2.0.0, <= 2.9.0>= 3.0.0, <= 3.5.0= 1.0.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed NGINX Controller versionRun 'nginx-controller-ctl show version' or check the UI under Administration > System Overview > Software VersionAffected if Version is 1.0.1, or between 2.0.0-2.9.0, or between 3.0.0-3.5.0
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Locate the NATS service port configurationCheck NGINX Controller configuration files (typically in /etc/nginx-controller or /opt/nginx-controller) for 'nats' or port 4222 entries; also check Kubernetes/Docker service definitions if applicableAffected if NATS service is exposed on port 4222 (default NATS port) and accessible to the network
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Verify NATS authentication statusAttempt to connect to the NATS port (4222) using a NATS client (like nats-pub or nats-sub) without providing any credentials, or check if the NATS configuration file has 'authorization { }' block enabledAffected if Connection succeeds without authentication credentials or authorization block is empty/missing
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Confirm network accessibility of NATS portRun 'nc -zv <nats_host> 4222' or 'telnet <nats_host> 4222' from an untrusted network segment, or verify NATS binds to a non-localhost interface in the configurationAffected if NATS port 4222 is reachable from network locations beyond localhost
You are affected if NGINX Controller version is in the vulnerable range AND the NATS service accepts connections without requiring authentication credentials.
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 dataEnable authentication on the NATS messaging service by configuring appropriate credentials and access controls, and upgrade to a patched version of NGINX Controller when available.
Fix this in Nginx Controller
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5910 — 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-2020-5910 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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