CVE-2020-1600 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
In a Point-to-Multipoint (P2MP) Label Switched Path (LSP) scenario, an uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in the Routing Protocol Daemon (RPD) in Juniper Networks Junos OS allows a specific SNMP request to trigger an infinite loop causing a high CPU usage Denial of Service (DoS) condition. This issue affects both SNMP over IPv4 and IPv6. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS: 12.3X48 versions prior to 12.3X48-D90; 15.1 versions prior to 15.1R7-S6; 15.1X49 versions prior to 15.1X49-D200; 15.1X53 versions prior to 15.1X53-D238, 15.1X53-D592; 16.1 versions prior to 16.1R7-S5; 16.2 versions prior to 16.2R2-S11; 17.1 versions prior to 17.1R3-S1; 17.2 versions prior to 17.2R3-S2; 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S7; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2-S4, 17.4R3; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S5; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3; 18.2X75 versions prior to 18.2X75-D50; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R2; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R2; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-1600 represents a critical resource consumption flaw within the Routing Protocol Daemon (RPD) of Juniper Networks Junos OS operating systems. This issue manifests specifically within Point-to-Multipoint Label Switched Path scenarios, where the daemon's processing of certain SNMP requests triggers an infinite loop condition that consumes excessive CPU resources. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with a denial of service attack vector that can severely impact network infrastructure availability and performance. The flaw affects multiple version streams of the Junos OS, spanning from 12.3X48 through 19.1R2 releases, indicating a long-standing issue that required multiple patch releases to address across different software branches.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves an uncontrolled resource consumption pattern that occurs when the RPD processes specific SNMP requests related to P2MP LSP configurations. This infinite loop creates sustained high CPU usage conditions that can render the affected network device unable to process legitimate routing protocols or maintain normal operational functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects both IPv4 and IPv6 SNMP implementations, suggesting a protocol-agnostic nature that broadens its potential impact across different network environments. The issue falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks that can be exploited through legitimate management interfaces, making detection and prevention more challenging for network administrators.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network availability and service continuity. Network devices running affected Junos OS versions become susceptible to DoS conditions that can disrupt routing operations and potentially cause cascading failures throughout the network infrastructure. The infinite loop condition consumes system resources continuously until manual intervention occurs, which may involve device rebooting or other disruptive maintenance procedures. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks and CWE-400 for unchecked resource consumption, both of which represent well-documented attack patterns that can severely impact network infrastructure reliability.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability must implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant security patches released by Juniper Networks for their specific software versions. The patching process should be carefully coordinated to minimize service disruption while ensuring complete remediation across all affected devices. Network administrators should also consider implementing SNMP access controls and monitoring procedures to detect anomalous SNMP request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all network infrastructure components and demonstrates the necessity of regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in legacy systems. The affected version ranges indicate that this vulnerability persisted across multiple major releases, emphasizing the need for comprehensive patch management strategies that cover extended support periods and ensure all software components remain secure against known attack vectors.