CVE-2022-22170Network attack vector

Forwarding-engine reset via VXLAN-triggered heap leak

Published Jan 19, 2022 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Resource exhaustion in the Junos OS Packet Forwarding Engine allows remote attackers to reset the PFE using specific VXLAN packets. The PFE fails to release heap memory after processing those packets, so repeated traffic steadily exhausts the available heap. No authentication or user interaction is required; exhaustion resets the forwarding engine and interrupts packet forwarding.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.93%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in the Junos OS Packet Forwarding Engine allows remote attackers to reset the PFE using specific VXLAN packets. The PFE fails to release heap memory after processing those packets, so repeated traffic steadily exhausts the available heap. No authentication or user interaction is required; exhaustion resets the forwarding engine and interrupts packet forwarding.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22170
Published
Jan 19, 2022
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Juniper Networks
Product
Junos OS
Classifications
CWE-772, T1499.002
Attack vector
network
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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=19.4 <19.4R2-S6, 19.4R3-S6
  2. Affected versionversion=20.1 <20.1R3-S2
  3. Affected versionversion=20.2 <20.2R3-S3
  4. Affected versionversion=20.3 <20.3R3-S1
  5. Affected versionversion=20.4 <20.4R3
  6. Affected versionversion=21.1 <21.1R3
  7. Affected versionversion=21.2 <21.2R2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Juniper Networks · Junos OSversion=19.4 <19.4R2-S6, 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 <21.1R3; version=21.2 <21.2R2

Published CVSS scores

7.5Juniper Networks, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-772Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime
T1499.002Service Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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