CVE-2020-5869 in BIG-IQ
Summary
by MITRE
In BIG-IQ 5.2.0-7.0.0, high availability (HA) synchronization is not secure by TLS and may allow on-path attackers to read / modify confidential data in transit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-5869 affects the BIG-IQ platform version 5.2.0 through 7.0.0, specifically targeting the high availability synchronization mechanism. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between redundant BIG-IQ appliances. The issue stems from the absence of proper transport layer security measures during the HA synchronization process, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors positioned within the network path.
The technical flaw manifests as the lack of TLS encryption for high availability synchronization traffic between BIG-IQ appliances. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks or passive eavesdropping on the synchronization communications. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-319 - Cryptographic Issues, specifically addressing the inadequate protection of sensitive data during transmission. When BIG-IQ appliances synchronize configuration data, user credentials, system parameters, and other confidential information traverse the network without encryption, making them susceptible to interception and modification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it compromises the fundamental security posture of the entire BIG-IQ deployment. Attackers with network access between synchronized appliances can potentially modify configuration settings, inject malicious data, or extract sensitive information including administrative credentials and system configurations. This threat aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 - Application Layer Protocol: DNS, where network protocol manipulation can lead to unauthorized access and data compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on BIG-IQ for centralized network management, as compromised synchronization can lead to unauthorized configuration changes across the entire network infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to versions that properly implement TLS encryption for HA synchronization, configuring network segmentation to limit access to synchronization traffic, and monitoring for unusual synchronization patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure communication channels in distributed systems, particularly for critical infrastructure management platforms. Security teams should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and establish secure communication protocols for all inter-appliance communications. This issue highlights the necessity of following security best practices such as the principle of least privilege and secure configuration management as outlined in NIST SP 800-53 security controls.