CVE-2004-0467 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
Juniper JUNOS 5.x through JUNOS 7.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (routing disabled) via a large number of MPLS packets, which are not filtered or verified before being sent to the Routing Engine, which reduces the speed at which other packets are processed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0467 represents a significant denial of service weakness in Juniper JUNOS operating systems versions 5.x through 7.x. This flaw specifically targets the handling of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) packets within the routing infrastructure, creating a condition where malicious actors can disrupt network operations by overwhelming the system with excessive MPLS traffic. The vulnerability exploits a fundamental design flaw in packet processing mechanisms that fail to implement proper filtering or verification protocols before forwarding MPLS packets to the Routing Engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and packet filtering mechanisms within the JUNOS software architecture. When the system receives a large volume of MPLS packets, it processes them without adequate verification or rate limiting controls, leading to resource exhaustion and performance degradation. The Routing Engine becomes overwhelmed with MPLS packet processing tasks, which directly impacts its ability to handle legitimate routing operations and other network traffic. This creates a cascading effect where normal network operations are severely degraded or completely disabled, resulting in a denial of service condition that affects the entire routing domain.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a critical risk to network infrastructure reliability and availability. Network administrators responsible for maintaining Juniper routers running affected JUNOS versions face the potential for complete routing disruption, which can result in widespread network outages and service interruptions. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal resources to execute, making it accessible to attackers with basic network knowledge while delivering significant damage. The vulnerability affects the core routing functionality of the device, potentially impacting multiple network segments and services that depend on proper routing operations.
The flaw aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to "Endpoint Denial of Service" and demonstrates how network infrastructure devices can be targeted to create service disruptions. Organizations using affected JUNOS versions should implement immediate mitigations including packet filtering rules to limit MPLS traffic, implementing rate limiting controls, and applying vendor security patches as soon as available. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
Security practitioners should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous MPLS packet patterns and establish baseline performance metrics to quickly detect when routing operations are being degraded. The affected JUNOS versions represent a critical security gap that required immediate vendor attention through security updates and patches to restore proper packet filtering and resource management controls within the routing engine.