CVE-2018-0003 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
A specially crafted MPLS packet received or processed by the system, on an interface configured with MPLS, will store information in the system memory. Subsequently, if this stored information is accessed, this may result in a kernel crash leading to a denial of service. Affected releases are Juniper Networks Junos OS: 12.1X46 versions prior to 12.1X46-D71; 12.3R12 versions prior to 12.3R12-S7; 12.3X48 versions prior to 12.3X48-D55; 14.1 versions prior to 14.1R8-S5, 14.1R9; 14.1X53 versions prior to 14.1X53-D45, 14.1X53-D107; 14.2 versions prior to 14.2R7-S7, 14.2R8; 15.1 versions prior to 15.1F5-S8, 15.1F6-S8, 15.1R5-S6, 15.1R6-S3, 15.1R7; 15.1X49 versions prior to 15.1X49-D100; 15.1X53 versions prior to 15.1X53-D65, 15.1X53-D231; 16.1 versions prior to 16.1R3-S6, 16.1R4-S6, 16.1R5; 16.1X65 versions prior to 16.1X65-D45; 16.2 versions prior to 16.2R2-S1, 16.2R3; 17.1 versions prior to 17.1R2-S2, 17.1R3; 17.2 versions prior to 17.2R1-S3, 17.2R2; 17.2X75 versions prior to 17.2X75-D50. No other Juniper Networks products or platforms are affected by this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical memory management flaw in Juniper Networks Junos OS affecting multiple version streams that process multiprotocol label switching traffic. The issue manifests when the system receives or processes specially crafted MPLS packets on interfaces configured with MPLS functionality, creating a scenario where malformed packet data is stored in system memory without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the MPLS processing pipeline, allowing attackers to craft packets that trigger improper memory handling during packet processing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of MPLS packet headers and payload structures that cause the kernel to store corrupted or unexpected data patterns in memory locations. When subsequent system operations attempt to access this stored information, the kernel encounters invalid memory references that trigger a crash condition. This memory corruption leads to a complete system crash and subsequent denial of service, effectively rendering the affected network device unavailable to process legitimate traffic. The vulnerability affects all supported Junos OS versions within the specified release streams, indicating a widespread issue across multiple major version branches.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network availability and reliability, particularly in environments where MPLS services are critical for core network operations. The denial of service condition can disrupt traffic engineering, virtual private network services, and other MPLS-dependent applications that rely on the stability of network infrastructure. Network administrators face the challenge of identifying vulnerable devices across their infrastructure and implementing timely patches while minimizing service disruption during maintenance windows. The vulnerability also raises concerns about potential escalation to more severe compromise scenarios, as kernel crashes can sometimes be exploited to achieve privilege escalation or information disclosure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in memory management, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 for network denial of service and potentially T1068 for privilege escalation if exploitation extends beyond simple denial of service. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Juniper security patches, disabling MPLS functionality on affected interfaces where possible, and implementing network segmentation to limit the attack surface. Additionally, monitoring for anomalous MPLS traffic patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts before they cause service disruption.