CVE-2022-22168

FPC reboot via packet-triggered memory leak

Published Jan 19, 2022 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Kernel input validation failure in Juniper Networks Junos OS on vMX and MX150 allows remote attackers to reboot an FPC from an adjacent network. The kernel fails to release memory after processing specific packets, so repeated traffic progressively exhausts memory until the FPC reboots. Exploitation requires unauthenticated packet delivery from an adjacent network, and the reported consequence is a forwarding-plane service interruption.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Kernel input validation failure in Juniper Networks Junos OS on vMX and MX150 allows remote attackers to reboot an FPC from an adjacent network. The kernel fails to release memory after processing specific packets, so repeated traffic progressively exhausts memory until the FPC reboots. Exploitation requires unauthenticated packet delivery from an adjacent network, and the reported consequence is a forwarding-plane service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22168
Published
Jan 19, 2022
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Juniper Networks
Product
Junos OS
Classifications
CWE-401, CWE-1287, T1499.004
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 19, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=19.3 <19.3R3-S5
  2. Affected versionversion=19.4 <19.4R2-S5, 19.4R3-S6
  3. Affected versionversion=20.1 <20.1R3-S2
  4. Affected versionversion=20.2 <20.2R3-S3
  5. Affected versionversion=20.3 <20.3R3-S1
  6. Affected versionversion=20.4 <20.4R3
  7. Affected versionversion=21.1 <21.1R2-S1, 21.1R3
  8. Affected versionversion=21.2 <21.2R1-S1, 21.2R2
  9. Affected versionversion=21.3 <21.3R1-S1, 21.3R2
  10. Affected versionversion=unspecified <19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Juniper Networks · Junos OSversion=19.3 <19.3R3-S5; version=19.4 <19.4R2-S5, 19.4R3-S6; version=20.1 <20.1R3-S2; version=20.2 <20.2R3-S3; version=20.3 <20.3R3-S1; version=20.4 <20.4R3; version=21.1 <21.1R2-S1, 21.1R3; version=21.2 <21.2R1-S1, 21.2R2; version=21.3 <21.3R1-S1, 21.3R2; version=unspecified <19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4

Published CVSS scores

6.5Juniper NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CWE-1287Improper Validation of Specified Type of Input
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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