CVE-2022-22248
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn Incorrect Permission Assignment vulnerability in shell processing of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows a low-privileged local user to modify the contents of a configuration file which could cause another user to execute arbitrary commands within the context of the follow-on user's session. If the follow-on user is a high-privileged administrator, the attacker could leverage this vulnerability to take complete control of the target system. While this issue is triggered by a user, other than the attacker, accessing the Junos shell, an attacker simply requires Junos CLI access to exploit this vulnerability. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved: 20.4-EVO versions prior to 20.4R3-S1-EVO; All versions of 21.1-EVO; 21.2-EVO versions prior to 21.2R3-EVO; 21.3-EVO versions prior to 21.3R2-EVO. This issue does not affect Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved versions prior to 19.2R1-EVO.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA local low-privilege user can modify a configuration file that gets executed when another user (including high-privileged administrators) accesses the Junos shell, allowing arbitrary command execution in the follow-on user's session and potential complete system compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 20.4= 21.1= 21.2= 21.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Junos OS Evolved versionExecute 'show version' or 'show version detail' on the device to retrieve the exact software versionAffected if The installed version matches 20.4, 21.1, 21.2, or 21.3 exactly (these are the affected versions)
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Inspect shell initialization configuration filesExamine shell configuration files in /etc and user home directories that execute when the Junos shell (csh/sh) is accessed. Look for unexpected commands, scripts, or modifications.Affected if Any configuration file that executes at shell login contains suspicious or unauthorized commands added by a low-privilege user
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Verify file permissions on critical shell config filesCheck write permissions on files such as /etc/profile, /etc/csh.cshrc, /etc/bash.bashrc, and shell-specific login scripts. Use 'ls -la' to inspect ownership and permissions.Affected if A low-privilege user has write access to files that execute automatically when administrators or other users access the shell
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Audit recent modifications to shell configurationReview system logs and file system metadata (using 'ls -l' with timestamps) for recent changes to shell initialization files in /etc or shell-specific config directories.Affected if Shell configuration files show recent modifications that were not performed by an administrator
A system is affected if it runs Junos OS Evolved version 20.4, 21.1, 21.2, or 21.3 AND shows evidence of unauthorized modifications to shell initialization files or improper file permissions on those configuration files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade Junos OS Evolved to version 20.4R3-S1-EVO, 21.2R3-EVO, 21.3R2-EVO or later as appropriate for your release branch.
20.4R3-S1-EVO, 21.2R3-EVO, or 21.3R2-EVO (depending on starting branch)
- 1. Identify the current Junos OS Evolved version using 'show version' command
- 2. Based on your current version, plan upgrade to the fixed release: if on 20.4-EVO, upgrade to 20.4R3-S1-EVO or later; if on 21.1-EVO, upgrade to a newer branch (21.2R3-EVO or later); if on 21.2-EVO, upgrade to 21.2R3-EVO or later; if on 21.3-EVO, upgrade to 21.3R2-EVO or later
- 3. Download the appropriate upgrade package from the Juniper Networks support portal
- 4. Backup current configuration using 'request system configuration backup'
- 5. Upload the upgrade package to the device using 'file copy' or USB
- 6. Initiate the software installation using 'request system software add <package-name> reboot'
- 7. After reboot, verify the new version using 'show version' and confirm the vulnerability is resolved
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-22248 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-22248 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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