CVE-2020-5860 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2020-5860 affecting BIG-IP 15.0.0-15.1.0.2, 14.1.0-14.1.2.3, 13.1.0-13.1.3.2, 12.1.0-12.1.5.1, 11.5.2-11.6.5.1 and BIG-IQ 7.0.0, 6.0.0-6.1.0, 5.2.0-5.4.0. Find mitigation steps and long-term security practices.
A vulnerability in BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices could allow an attacker to intercept network traffic during failover events.
Understanding CVE-2020-5860
This CVE identifies a security issue in F5's BIG-IP and BIG-IQ products related to network failover operations.
What is CVE-2020-5860?
The vulnerability affects specific versions of BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices during High Availability (HA) network failover in Device Service Cluster (DSC) scenarios. It allows unauthorized interception of failover traffic due to weak authentication and lack of encryption.
The Impact of CVE-2020-5860
The vulnerability poses a risk of Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks during HA network failover, potentially leading to data interception and unauthorized access.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-5860
This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The failover service in affected versions of BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices lacks strong authentication requirements, and the HA network failover traffic remains unencrypted, making it susceptible to interception.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Products: BIG-IP, BIG-IQ
- Versions: BIG-IP 15.0.0-15.1.0.2, 14.1.0-14.1.2.3, 13.1.0-13.1.3.2, 12.1.0-12.1.5.1, 11.5.2-11.6.5.1; BIG-IQ 7.0.0, 6.0.0-6.1.0, 5.2.0-5.4.0
Exploitation Mechanism
The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker positioned to intercept network traffic during HA failover events, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the data transmitted.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2020-5860 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates promptly to address the vulnerability.
- Implement additional security controls to secure HA network failover communications.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Enforce strong authentication mechanisms for network failover services.
- Encrypt HA network failover traffic using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or equivalent protocols.
Patching and Updates
Regularly monitor for security advisories from F5 and apply patches or updates to ensure the ongoing security of BIG-IP and BIG-IQ devices.