CVE-2018-0058 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
Receipt of a specially crafted IPv6 exception packet may be able to trigger a kernel crash (vmcore), causing the device to reboot. The issue is specific to the processing of Broadband Edge (BBE) client route processing on MX Series subscriber management platforms, introduced by the Tomcat (Next Generation Subscriber Management) functionality in Junos OS 15.1. This issue affects no other platforms or configurations. Affected releases are Juniper Networks Junos OS: 15.1 versions prior to 15.1R7-S2, 15.1R8 on MX Series; 16.1 versions prior to 16.1R4-S11, 16.1R7-S2, 16.1R8 on MX Series; 16.2 versions prior to 16.2R3 on MX Series; 17.1 versions prior to 17.1R2-S9, 17.1R3 on MX Series; 17.2 versions prior to 17.2R2-S6, 17.2R3 on MX Series; 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R2-S4, 17.3R3-S2, 17.3R4 on MX Series; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2 on MX Series; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R2-S3, 18.1R3 on MX Series; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R1-S1, 18.2R2 on MX Series.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical kernel panic condition affecting Juniper MX Series routers running specific Junos OS versions, where malformed IPv6 exception packets can trigger system crashes and subsequent reboots. The flaw specifically impacts the Broadband Edge client route processing functionality introduced through the Tomcat-based Next Generation Subscriber Management system, making it a targeted issue rather than a general kernel vulnerability. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during the processing of IPv6 packets within the subscriber management subsystem, creating a denial of service scenario that can be remotely exploited by sending specially crafted packets to affected devices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the kernel's handling of IPv6 exception packet processing within the BBE client route management framework. When the system receives malformed IPv6 packets designed to exploit the Tomcat functionality, the kernel's memory management and packet processing routines fail to properly handle the unexpected data structures, leading to a kernel crash that generates a vmcore dump and forces the device to reboot. This represents a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs during packet parsing, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious input to overwrite critical kernel memory regions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to system instability.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network infrastructure reliability and availability, particularly for service providers relying on MX Series platforms for subscriber management. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise network monitoring and management capabilities, as affected devices may become unavailable for critical network operations. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal network access and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where network availability is paramount. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.002, which involves network disruption through service availability attacks, and T1072, which covers software deployment and execution within network infrastructure.
The affected platforms represent a specific subset of Juniper MX Series routers running particular Junos OS versions, with the vulnerability being introduced in version 15.1 and persisting through multiple release branches including 16.1, 16.2, 17.1, 17.2, 17.3, 17.4, 18.1, and 18.2. The targeted nature of the vulnerability means that devices running other Junos OS versions or different Juniper product lines remain unaffected, but the specific version ranges indicate a prolonged period during which the vulnerability existed without proper mitigation. The patching process requires careful consideration of upgrade paths, as the affected releases span multiple major and minor version branches, potentially requiring comprehensive network-wide coordination for remediation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to the affected Junos OS versions, with particular attention to the specific release notes and upgrade procedures for each affected version branch. Network administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious IPv6 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also considering network segmentation and access control measures to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability's nature suggests that implementing proper input validation and bounds checking within the kernel's packet processing modules would provide effective remediation, aligning with security best practices for kernel-level protection against malformed input processing. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts, given that the vulnerability can cause complete device unavailability and requires system reboot for recovery.