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JunosOperating system · Juniper

CVE-2023-28972

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
An Improper Link Resolution Before File Access vulnerability in console port access of Juniper Networks Junos OS on NFX Series allows an attacker to bypass console access controls. When "set system ports console insecure" is enabled, root login is disallowed for Junos OS as expected. However, the root password can be changed using "set system root-authentication plain-text-password" on NFX Series systems, leading to a possible administrative bypass with physical access to the console. Password recovery, changing the root password from a console, should not have been allowed from an insecure console. This is similar to the vulnerability described in CVE-2019-0035 but affects different platforms and in turn requires a different fix. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on NFX Series: 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R3-S7; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S8; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S12; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S8; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S7; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S5; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S4; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S3; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R3-S2; 22.1 versions prior to 22.1R3-S1; 22.2 versions prior to 22.2R2-S1, 22.2R3; 22.3 versions prior to 22.3R1-S2, 22.3R2.

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 confidence

On Juniper NFX Series devices, the 'set system ports console insecure' configuration is intended to disable root login via console. However, the system still allows root password changes via 'set system root-authentication plain-text-password' through the console, enabling an attacker with physical console access to bypass authentication controls and gain administrative privileges by setting a new root password.

MitigationApply the appropriate Junos OS patch (19.2R3-S7, 19.3R3-S8, 19.4R3-S12, 20.2R3-S8, 20.4R3-S7, 21.1R3-S5, 21.2R3-S4, 21.3R3-S3, 21.4R3-S2, 22.1R3-S1, 22.2R2-S1/22.2R3, 22.3R1-S2/22.3R2 or later). Until patched, restrict physical access to console ports and monitor for unauthorized console connections.

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
JunosOperating system
Affected:= 19.2= 19.3= 19.4= 20.2= 20.4= 21.1= 21.2= 21.3= 21.4= 22.1= 22.2= 22.3

CVSS 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
Physical
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify device model and Junos version
    Run 'show version' and 'show chassis hardware' to confirm the device is a Juniper NFX Series and note the Junos OS version number
    Affected if The device is an NFX Series running any Junos version listed in the affected versions (19.2 through 22.3)
  2. Verify console port configuration
    Run 'show configuration system ports console' to see if the 'insecure' option is configured
    Affected if The output contains the word 'insecure', meaning the console is set to allow configuration access without requiring authentication
  3. Confirm root authentication is configured
    Run 'show configuration system root-authentication' to check if root login credentials are defined
    Affected if Root authentication is configured (any method shown), which enables the password change operation through the console
  4. Check for console access logging
    Review system logs for any 'set system root-authentication' commands executed through the console, or monitor for unexpected console sessions
    Affected if Logs show root password changes that were not performed by authorized administrators

A user is affected if they have an NFX Series device running an affected Junos version with the 'insecure' option set on the console port, allowing anyone with physical console access to reconfigure the root password and gain administrative control.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the appropriate Junos OS patch (19.2R3-S7, 19.3R3-S8, 19.4R3-S12, 20.2R3-S8, 20.4R3-S7, 21.1R3-S5, 21.2R3-S4, 21.3R3-S3, 21.4R3-S2, 22.1R3-S1, 22.2R2-S1/22.2R3, 22.3R1-S2/22.3R2 or later). Until patched, restrict physical access to console ports and monitor for unauthorized console connections.

Recommended fix High confidence

Minimum fixed releases per branch: 19.2R3-S7, 19.3R3-S8, 19.4R3-S12, 20.2R3-S8, 20.4R3-S7, 21.1R3-S5, 21.2R3-S4, 21.3R3-S3, 21.4R3-S2, 22.1R3-S1, 22.2R2-S1 or 22.2R3, 22.3R1-S2 or 22.3R2

  1. 1. Identify the current Junos OS version on the NFX Series device using 'show version'
  2. 2. Based on the current version branch, plan upgrade to the minimum fixed release: For 19.2x -> 19.2R3-S7 or later; For 19.3x -> 19.3R3-S8 or later; For 19.4x -> 19.4R3-S12 or later; For 20.2x -> 20.2R3-S8 or later; For 20.4x -> 20.4R3-S7 or later; For 21.1x -> 21.1R3-S5 or later; For 21.2x -> 21.2R3-S4 or later; For 21.3x -> 21.3R3-S3 or later; For 21.4x -> 21.4R3-S2 or later; For 22.1x -> 22.1R3
  3. 3. Download the appropriate Junos software package from the Juniper Networks support portal
  4. 4. Upload the software package to the NFX device using 'file copy' or USB transfer
  5. 5. Initiate the upgrade using 'request system software add <package>' with the 'reboot' option
  6. 6. After reboot, verify the new version is installed using 'show version'
  7. 7. Confirm the fix is applied by ensuring console port behavior no longer allows root password change when 'set system ports console insecure' is configured
Caveat Standard Junos upgrade risks apply - review release notes for compatibility and ensure configuration compatibility before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Junos Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-28972 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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