CVE-2017-2344 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
A routine within an internal Junos OS sockets library is vulnerable to a buffer overflow. Malicious exploitation of this issue may lead to a denial of service (kernel panic) or be leveraged as a privilege escalation through local code execution. The routines are only accessible via programs running on the device itself, and veriexec restricts arbitrary programs from running on Junos OS. There are no known exploit vectors utilizing signed binaries shipped with Junos OS itself. Affected releases are Juniper Networks Junos OS 12.1X46 prior to 12.1X46-D67; 12.3X48 prior to 12.3X48-D51, 12.3X48-D55; 13.3 prior to 13.3R10-S2; 14.1 prior to 14.1R2-S10, 14.1R8-S4, 14.1R9; 14.1X50 prior to 14.1X50-D185; 14.1X53 prior to 14.1X53-D122, 14.1X53-D45, 14.1X53-D50; 14.2 prior to 14.2R4-S9, 14.2R7-S7, 14.2R8; 15.1 prior to 15.1F2-S18, 15.1F6-S7, 15.1R4-S8, 15.1R5-S5, 15.1R6-S1, 15.1R7; 15.1X49 prior to 15.1X49-D100; 15.1X53 prior to 15.1X53-D231, 15.1X53-D47, 15.1X53-D48, 15.1X53-D57, 15.1X53-D64, 15.1X53-D70; 16.1 prior to 16.1R3-S4, 16.1R4-S3, 16.1R4-S4, 16.1R5; 16.2 prior to 16.2R2; 17.1 prior to 17.1R1-S3, 17.1R2; 17.2 prior to 17.2R1-S1, 17.2R2; 17.2X75 prior to 17.2X75-D30. No other Juniper Networks products or platforms are affected by this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2344 resides within the internal sockets library of Junos OS, representing a critical buffer overflow condition that can be exploited to achieve either denial of service through kernel panic or local privilege escalation via code execution. This flaw exists in the foundational networking software that governs network communications on Juniper devices, making it particularly concerning for network infrastructure security. The buffer overflow occurs in a routine that handles socket operations, which are fundamental to network communication processes. According to CWE-121, this vulnerability manifests as a classic stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it creates a pathway for attackers with local access to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized control over network devices. The affected versions span multiple major releases of Junos OS, indicating this was a widespread issue that affected numerous network appliances including routers and switches. The vulnerability's accessibility is limited to programs running directly on the device itself, which provides some inherent protection through Junos OS's veriexec mechanism that restricts execution of arbitrary code. However, this protection is not foolproof as attackers could potentially exploit signed binaries or leverage other local privilege escalation vectors to gain the necessary access to trigger the vulnerable routine.
The exploitation landscape for CVE-2017-2344 is constrained by the requirement for local access to the device, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 for Local Privilege Escalation. The fact that no known exploit vectors utilize signed binaries shipped with Junos OS suggests that attackers would need to either compromise a legitimate local account or find alternative means of gaining access to the device itself. This limitation reduces the attack surface significantly compared to remotely exploitable vulnerabilities, but does not eliminate the risk entirely given that local access might be gained through various means such as physical access, network compromise, or credential theft. The vulnerability's presence in multiple release versions indicates that it was likely introduced in a common codebase and persisted through several maintenance cycles, highlighting the importance of proper code review and security testing in network operating systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to the patched versions specified in the advisory, which represents the most effective approach to address the issue. Organizations should prioritize patching affected devices as soon as possible, particularly those running versions prior to the listed patch releases. The patching process requires careful planning and testing to ensure that network services remain operational during the upgrade process. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where local access controls may be compromised. The vulnerability's nature as a buffer overflow also suggests that defensive measures such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and other exploit mitigation techniques could provide additional protection, though these are typically implemented at the system level rather than being specific to this vulnerability. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential local privilege escalation vectors that could be leveraged in combination with this vulnerability to maximize the attack surface.