CVE-2014-6377 in JunosE
Summary
by MITRE
Juniper JunosE before 13.3.3p0-1, 14.x before 14.3.2, and 15.x before 15.1.0, when DEBUG severity icmpTraffic logging is enabled, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (SRP reset) via a crafted ICMP packet to the (1) interface or (2) loopback IP address, which triggers a processor exception in ip_RxData_8.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-6377 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Juniper JunosE operating systems across multiple versions including 13.3.3p0-1, 14.3.2, and 15.1.0. This issue specifically manifests when DEBUG severity icmpTraffic logging is enabled on network devices running these vulnerable software versions. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and error handling within the network device's ICMP packet processing mechanism, creating a condition where malformed ICMP packets can trigger system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the ip_RxData_8 function which handles incoming ICMP data packets. When DEBUG logging is enabled, the system processes ICMP traffic with enhanced verbosity that includes detailed packet information. Attackers can exploit this by crafting specially malformed ICMP packets designed to trigger a processor exception within the ip_RxData_8 function. This exception causes the system to reset the SRP (System Resource Processor) component, effectively rendering the network device unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability affects both physical interfaces and loopback IP addresses, expanding the attack surface and making exploitation more feasible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged for sustained denial of service attacks against network infrastructure. Network administrators who have enabled DEBUG logging for troubleshooting purposes become particularly vulnerable since the logging mechanism itself creates the conditions for exploitation. The SRP reset caused by this vulnerability can result in complete device unavailability, requiring manual intervention for recovery and potentially disrupting network connectivity for extended periods. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where network uptime is critical.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1498, which involves network denial of service attacks. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where malformed input data triggers unexpected behavior in the processing function. Organizations should immediately disable DEBUG logging for icmpTraffic when not actively troubleshooting, apply the appropriate software patches released by Juniper, and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. Additionally, monitoring for unusual ICMP traffic patterns and implementing rate limiting on ICMP packets can serve as effective mitigation strategies to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.