CVE-2023-22396Network attack vector

Service interruption via TCP MBUF leak

Published Jan 12, 2023 · Updated Apr 7, 2025

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Junos OS TCP processing allows remote attackers to exhaust MBUFs and interrupt service. TCP processing on the Routing Engine fails to release MBUFs for crafted packets addressed to a configured IPv4 or IPv6 interface, allowing the buffer pool to drain. Transit traffic does not trigger the leak; an affected device does not recover automatically and requires a manual restart.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Junos OS TCP processing allows remote attackers to exhaust MBUFs and interrupt service. TCP processing on the Routing Engine fails to release MBUFs for crafted packets addressed to a configured IPv4 or IPv6 interface, allowing the buffer pool to drain. Transit traffic does not trigger the leak; an affected device does not recover automatically and requires a manual restart.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-22396
Published
Jan 12, 2023
Updated
Apr 7, 2025
Vendor
Juniper Networks
Product
Junos OS
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 7, 2025Record 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=12.3R12-S19 <12.3*
  2. Affected versionversion=15.1R7-S10 <15.1*
  3. Affected versionversion=17.3R3-S12 <17.3*
  4. Affected versionversion=18.4R3-S9 <18.4*
  5. Affected versionversion=19.1R3-S7 <19.1*
  6. Affected versionversion=19.2R3-S3 <19.2*
  7. Affected versionversion=19.3R2-S7, 19.3R3-S3 <19.3* changes=[{"at":"19.3R3-S7","status":"unaffected"}]
  8. Affected versionversion=19.4R2-S7, 19.4R3-S5 <19.4* changes=[{"at":"19.4R3-S10","status":"unaffected"}]
  9. Affected versionversion=20.1R3-S1 <20.1*
  10. Affected versionversion=20.2R3-S2 <20.2* changes=[{"at":"20.2R3-S6","status":"unaffected"}]
  11. Affected versionversion=20.3R3-S1 <20.3* changes=[{"at":"20.3R3-S6","status":"unaffected"}]
  12. Affected versionversion=20.4R2-S2, 20.4R3 <20.4* changes=[{"at":"20.4R3-S5","status":"unaffected"}]
  13. Affected versionversion=21.1R2 <21.1* changes=[{"at":"21.1R3-S4","status":"unaffected"}]
  14. Affected versionversion=21.2R1-S1, 21.2R2 <21.2* changes=[{"at":"21.2R3-S3","status":"unaffected"}]
  15. Affected versionversion=21.3 <21.3R3-S2
  16. Affected versionversion=21.4 <21.4R3
  17. Affected versionversion=22.1 <22.1R2-S1, 22.1R3
  18. Affected versionversion=22.2 <22.2R1-S2, 22.2R2
  19. Affected versionversion=22.3 <22.3R1-S1, 22.3R2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Juniper Networks · Junos OSversion=12.3R12-S19 <12.3*; version=15.1R7-S10 <15.1*; version=17.3R3-S12 <17.3*; version=18.4R3-S9 <18.4*; version=19.1R3-S7 <19.1*; version=19.2R3-S3 <19.2*; version=19.3R2-S7, 19.3R3-S3 <19.3* changes=[{"at":"19.3R3-S7","status":"unaffected"}]; version=19.4R2-S7, 19.4R3-S5 <19.4* changes=[{"at":"19.4R3-S10","status":"unaffected"}]; version=20.1R3-S1 <20.1*; version=20.2R3-S2 <20.2* changes=[{"at":"20.2R3-S6","status":"unaffected"}]; version=20.3R3-S1 <20.3* changes=[{"at":"20.3R3-S6","status":"unaffected"}]; version=20.4R2-S2, 20.4R3 <20.4* changes=[{"at":"20.4R3-S5","status":"unaffected"}]; version=21.1R2 <21.1* changes=[{"at":"21.1R3-S4","status":"unaffected"}]; version=21.2R1-S1, 21.2R2 <21.2* changes=[{"at":"21.2R3-S3","status":"unaffected"}]; version=21.3 <21.3R3-S2; version=21.4 <21.4R3; version=22.1 <22.1R2-S1, 22.1R3; version=22.2 <22.2R1-S2, 22.2R2; version=22.3 <22.3R1-S1, 22.3R2

Published CVSS scores

7.5Juniper NetworksCVSS:3.1/AV:N/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.

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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-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

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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