CVE-2023-22417Network attack vector

Flowd crash via IPsec memory leak

Published Jan 12, 2023 · Updated Apr 8, 2025

Memory leakage in flowd in Juniper Networks Junos OS on affected SRX Series releases allows remote attackers to crash and restart flowd. Flowd fails to release memory during IPsec processing when a DH or ECDH group is configured, allowing consumption to grow until the process exits. An IPsec VPN with one of those groups must be configured; exploitation interrupts packet processing while flowd restarts.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.64%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leakage in flowd in Juniper Networks Junos OS on affected SRX Series releases allows remote attackers to crash and restart flowd. Flowd fails to release memory during IPsec processing when a DH or ECDH group is configured, allowing consumption to grow until the process exits. An IPsec VPN with one of those groups must be configured; exploitation interrupts packet processing while flowd restarts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-22417
Published
Jan 12, 2023
Updated
Apr 8, 2025
Vendor
Juniper Networks
Product
Junos OS
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 8, 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=19.4 <19.4R2-S8, 19.4R3-S10
  2. Affected versionversion=20.2 <20.2R3-S6
  3. Affected versionversion=20.3 <20.3R3-S5
  4. Affected versionversion=20.4 <20.4R3-S5
  5. Affected versionversion=21.1 <21.1R3-S4
  6. Affected versionversion=21.2 <21.2R3
  7. Affected versionversion=21.3 <21.3R3
  8. Affected versionversion=21.4 <21.4R2
  9. Affected versionversion=unspecified <19.3R3-S7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Juniper Networks · Junos OSversion=19.4 <19.4R2-S8, 19.4R3-S10; version=20.2 <20.2R3-S6; version=20.3 <20.3R3-S5; version=20.4 <20.4R3-S5; version=21.1 <21.1R3-S4; version=21.2 <21.2R3; version=21.3 <21.3R3; version=21.4 <21.4R2; version=unspecified <19.3R3-S7

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.

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application 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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