CVE-2022-22197 in Junos OS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/14/2022
An Operation on a Resource after Expiration or Release vulnerability in the Routing Protocol Daemon (RPD) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated network-based attacker with an established BGP session to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when proxy-generate route-target filtering is enabled, and certain proxy-route add and delete events are happening. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS All versions prior to 17.3R3-S11; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2-S13, 17.4R3-S4; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S4; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R1-S8, 18.4R2-S8, 18.4R3-S6; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3-S4; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S6, 19.2R3-S2; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R2-S6, 19.3R3-S1; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R1-S4, 19.4R2-S4, 19.4R3; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R2; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R1-S2, 20.3R2. Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.1R3-EVO; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-EVO; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R2-EVO.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-22197 represents a critical operation on a resource after expiration or release flaw within Juniper Networks' Routing Protocol Daemon (RPD) component of Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved systems. This issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can be exploited by unauthenticated network-based attackers who have already established a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session with the affected device. The vulnerability specifically occurs when proxy-generate route-target filtering is enabled, creating a scenario where memory management operations become compromised during dynamic route handling processes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory resources within the RPD daemon when processing proxy-route add and delete events. When proxy-generate route-target filtering is active, the system maintains references to route information that may be released or expired while still being accessed by ongoing operations. This creates a window where the routing daemon attempts to perform operations on memory locations that have already been deallocated or modified, leading to unpredictable behavior and ultimately system instability. The flaw operates under CWE-415 which categorizes improper operation on resource after release, a common class of memory management vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows an attacker to remotely disrupt network services without requiring authentication credentials beyond establishing a BGP session. This makes the attack vector particularly dangerous in production environments where BGP sessions are commonly established between network devices. The denial of service condition can result in complete routing protocol disruption, causing network partitions and service outages that affect critical infrastructure. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Junos OS versions across multiple release branches, indicating a widespread exposure that requires immediate attention from network administrators.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework where it maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service attacks. The attack scenario involves exploitation of a software flaw to cause system instability, which aligns with the broader category of privilege escalation and denial of service operations. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates as soon as possible, particularly since the vulnerability can be exploited without authentication. Network segmentation and monitoring of BGP sessions can serve as temporary mitigations while permanent fixes are deployed, though these measures do not address the underlying memory management issue.
The affected versions span multiple major release lines including 17.x, 18.x, 19.x, 20.x branches of both Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved, indicating that organizations running legacy systems are particularly vulnerable. The patching process requires careful consideration of operational impact, as routing daemon restarts may temporarily disrupt network connectivity. Organizations should conduct thorough testing in non-production environments before deploying patches to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations and routing policies. Additionally, monitoring for unusual BGP session behavior and route flapping patterns can help detect exploitation attempts before full denial of service occurs.