CVE-2022-22183 in Junos OS Evolved
Summary
by MITRE • 04/14/2022
An Improper Access Control vulnerability in Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows a network-based unauthenticated attacker who is able to connect to a specific open IPv4 port, which in affected releases should otherwise be unreachable, to cause the CPU to consume all resources as more traffic is sent to the port to create a Denial of Service (DoS) condition. Continued receipt and processing of these packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S1-EVO; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-EVO; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R2-EVO; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2-EVO. This issue does not affect Junos OS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2022-22183 represents a critical improper access control flaw within Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved platform. This weakness enables remote attackers to exploit specific open IPv4 ports that should normally be inaccessible, creating a significant security risk for network infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets versions of Junos OS Evolved released prior to the mentioned patch levels, affecting multiple release branches including 20.4, 21.1, 21.2, 21.3, and 21.4. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in network access controls where unauthorized entities can bypass normal security boundaries to reach previously protected network services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific processing mechanism that fails to properly validate incoming traffic on designated network ports. When an unauthenticated attacker sends malicious packets to these vulnerable ports, the system's CPU utilization escalates dramatically as it attempts to process the malformed or excessive traffic. This behavior creates a resource exhaustion condition where the system becomes overwhelmed with processing demands, ultimately leading to complete service disruption. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, specifically targeting the packet handling and processing routines that manage incoming connections to these exposed ports.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe denial of service condition that can completely incapacitate network services. The sustained nature of the attack means that once initiated, the DoS condition can persist as long as malicious traffic continues to be sent to the vulnerable port. Network administrators face the challenge of identifying and mitigating attacks that exploit these normally protected network endpoints, potentially affecting critical infrastructure services. The vulnerability affects network availability and reliability, creating operational disruptions that can impact business continuity and network performance across affected organizations.
The security implications extend beyond simple service disruption to represent a broader access control failure that could potentially enable further exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to address affected versions, while also deploying network monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns on exposed ports. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing proper network segmentation to limit the impact of such access control failures.
Mitigation strategies should focus on applying the vendor-provided security patches for affected Junos OS Evolved versions, particularly targeting the specific release branches mentioned in the vulnerability description. Network administrators should also consider implementing firewall rules to restrict access to potentially vulnerable ports, especially those that should normally be unreachable from external networks. Additional protective measures include deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns and implementing rate limiting mechanisms to prevent resource exhaustion attacks. The affected releases specifically require updates to versions 20.4R3-S2-EVO, 21.1R3-S1-EVO, 21.2R3-EVO, 21.3R2-EVO, and 21.4R2-EVO to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive network audits to identify any other potential exposure points that might be susceptible to similar access control flaws.