# CVE-2017-6144: Security feature bypass in F5 BIG-IP PEM

> Attackers in a privileged network position can intercept TAC database downloads due to missing certificate verification, exposing sensitive data.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Oct 2017
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6p94-89qp-5g52

## What is CVE-2017-6144?

CVE-2017-6144 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager, published on 20 Oct 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In F5 BIG-IP PEM 12.1.0 through 12.1.2 when downloading the Type Allocation Code (TAC) database file via HTTPS, the server's certificate is not verified. Attackers in a privileged network position may be able to launch a man-in-the-middle attack against these connections. TAC databases are used in BIG-IP PEM for Device Type and OS (DTOS) and Tethering detection. Customers not using BIG-IP PEM, not configuring downloads of TAC database files, or not using HTTP for that download are not affected.

Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-6144?

It affects 1 product.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-6144?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-6144 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-6144 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager

- [CVE-2025-35995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35995/): BIG-IP PEM vulnerability (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-22891](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22891/): BIG-IP PEM Vulnerability (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-24497](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24497/): BIG-IP PEM vulnerability (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2024-23982](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23982/): BIG-IP PEM vulnerability (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-5942](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5942/): Denial of service in BIG-IP (PEM) (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-6144 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-6144 is a high-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager, published on 20 Oct 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6144/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6144/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-6144
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6144
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-6144

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6144/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.