# CVE-2019-19151: Privilege escalation in BIG-IP, BIG-IQ, iWorkflow, Enterprise Manager

> Authenticated users with tmsh privileges can bypass restrictions to access unauthorized file system objects, leading to privilege escalation and data exposure.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Dec 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5mqv-m2p9-qprh

## What is CVE-2019-19151?

CVE-2019-19151 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 23 Dec 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

On BIG-IP versions 15.0.0-15.1.0, 14.0.0-14.1.2.3, 13.1.0-13.1.3.2, 12.1.0-12.1.5, and 11.5.2-11.6.5.1, BIG-IQ versions 7.0.0, 6.0.0-6.1.0, and 5.0.0-5.4.0, iWorkflow version 2.3.0, and Enterprise Manager version 3.1.1, authenticated users granted TMOS Shell (tmsh) privileges are able access objects on the file system which would normally be disallowed by tmsh restrictions. This allows for authenticated, low privileged attackers to access objects on the file system which would not normally be allowed.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-19151?

It affects 16 products.


Products: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, F5 Big-Ip Advanced Firewall Manager, F5 Big-Ip Analytics, F5 Big-Ip Application Acceleration Manager, F5 Big-Ip Application Security Manager, F5 Big-Ip Domain Name System, F5 Big-Ip Edge Gateway, F5 Big-Ip Fraud Protection Service, F5 Big-Ip Global Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Link Controller, F5 Big-Ip Local Traffic Manager, F5 Big-Ip Policy Enforcement Manager, F5 Big-Ip Webaccelerator, F5 Big-Iq Centralized Management, F5 Enterprise Manager, F5 Iworkflow.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-19151?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-19151 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-19151 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-19151 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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

- [CVE-2023-46747](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46747/): F5 BIG-IP Configuration Utility Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-1388](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1388/): F5 BIG-IP Missing Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22986/): F5 BIG-IP and BIG-IQ Centralized Management iControl REST Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22991/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management Microkernel Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-5902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5902/): F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-19151 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-19151 is a medium-severity vulnerability in F5 Big-Ip Access Policy Manager, published on 23 Dec 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-19151 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: F5 Big-Ip Access Policy 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-2019-19151/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-19151/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-19151
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-19151
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-19151

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-19151/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.