Junos Os EvolvedOperating system · Juniper

CVE-2024-39544

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-11

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 20.4 or later.

See remediation →

50/100

Remediation priority · Moderate

Official description

NVD · unedited

An Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerability in the command line interface (CLI) of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows a low privileged local attacker to view NETCONF traceoptions files, representing an exposure of sensitive information. On all Junos OS Evolved platforms, when NETCONF traceoptions are configured, NETCONF traceoptions files get created with an incorrect group permission, which allows a low-privileged user can access sensitive information compromising the confidentiality of the system. Junos OS Evolved: * All versions before 20.4R3-S9-EVO, * 21.2-EVO before 21.2R3-S7-EVO, * 21.4-EVO before 21.4R3-S5-EVO, * 22.1-EVO before 22.1R3-S5-EVO, * 22.2-EVO before 22.2R3-S3-EVO, * 22.3-EVO before 22.3R3-EVO, 22.3R3-S2-EVO, * 22.4-EVO before 22.4R3-EVO, * 23.2-EVO before 23.2R1-S2-EVO, 23.2R2-EVO.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Junos OS Evolved, when NETCONF traceoptions are configured, the resulting log files are created with overly permissive group permissions that allow low-privileged local users to read them. This exposes sensitive information such as NETCONF session details, configuration data, and potential credentials that may have been logged.

MitigationUpgrade Junos OS Evolved to one of the fixed versions (20.4R3-S9-EVO, 21.2R3-S7-EVO, 21.4R3-S5-EVO, 22.1R3-S5-EVO, 22.2R3-S3-EVO, 22.3R3-EVO/22.3R3-S2-EVO, 22.4R3-EVO, 23.2R1-S2-EVO, or 23.2R2-EVO) per the vendor advisory.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Junos Os EvolvedOperating system

Affected:< 20.4= 20.4= 21.2= 21.4= 22.1= 22.2= 22.3= 22.4= 23.2

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Confirm device is running Junos OS Evolved

Run 'show version' or 'show system information' and verify the OS name includes 'Junos OS Evolved' rather than 'Junos OS'

Affected if The device is running regular Junos OS (not Evolved) - this CVE only affects Junos OS Evolved
Check installed Junos OS Evolved version

Run 'show version' and note the exact version string (for example: 22.3R3, 23.2R1, etc.)

Affected if Version matches one of the affected versions: < 20.4, 20.4, 21.2, 21.4, 22.1, 22.2, 22.3, 22.4, or 23.2 (including any sub-versions like R1, R2, R3, S1, S2, etc. within these releases)
Verify NETCONF traceoptions is configured

Run 'show configuration | display set | match traceoptions' or check the configuration at 'set system services netconf traceoptions'

Affected if NETCONF traceoptions configuration exists (the vulnerability only applies when NETCONF traceoptions are enabled)
Inspect NETCONF traceoptions log file permissions

Locate the traceoptions log file (typically under /var/log/ or as configured under 'set system services netconf traceoptions file') and run 'ls -la' on the log file to check its permissions

Affected if Log file shows group-readable permissions (such as '-rw-rw-r--' or '-rw-r----') and you are running an affected version with NETCONF traceoptions configured

You are affected if the device runs Junos OS Evolved with an affected version number AND has NETCONF traceoptions configured, resulting in log files that are group-readable by low-privileged local users.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 20.4 or later

Fixed in 20.4

Interim mitigation

Upgrade Junos OS Evolved to one of the fixed versions (20.4R3-S9-EVO, 21.2R3-S7-EVO, 21.4R3-S5-EVO, 22.1R3-S5-EVO, 22.2R3-S3-EVO, 22.3R3-EVO/22.3R3-S2-EVO, 22.4R3-EVO, 23.2R1-S2-EVO, or 23.2R2-EVO) per the vendor advisory.

Recommended fix High confidence

20.4R3-S9-EVO, 21.2R3-S7-EVO, 21.4R3-S5-EVO, 22.1R3-S5-EVO, 22.2R3-S3-EVO, 22.3R3-EVO or 22.3R3-S2-EVO, 22.4R3-EVO, 23.2R1-S2-EVO or 23.2R2-EVO depending on current branch

1. Identify the current Junos OS Evolved version using 'show version' command
2. Review NETCONF traceoptions configuration using 'show configuration | display set | grep traceoptions'
3. Plan an upgrade to a fixed version based on your current branch: For 20.4 branch, upgrade to 20.4R3-S9-EVO or later; For 21.2 branch, upgrade to 21.2R3-S7-EVO or later; For 21.4 branch, upgrade to 21.4R3-S5-EVO or later; For 22.1 branch, upgrade to 22.1R3-S5-EVO or later; For 22.2 branch, upgrade to 22.2R3-S3-EVO or later; For 22.3 branch, upgrade to 22.3R3-EVO or 22.3R3-S2-EVO or later; For 22
4. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade
5. Before upgrade, backup the current configuration using 'request system configuration rescue save'
6. Perform the upgrade following Juniper upgrade procedures (use 'request system software add' or 'request system reboot')
7. After upgrade, verify the fix by checking NETCONF traceoptions file permissions - files should no longer be readable by low-privileged users (ls -la on /var/log/ or the configured traceoptions directory)
8. Confirm the new version is running using 'show version'

Caveat Standard Junos OS Evolved upgrade precautions apply - review Juniper upgrade guide, test in lab first, and ensure compatibility with other network devices

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

Fix this in Junos Os Evolved Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation8.0 h
Implementation16.0 h
Testing4.0 h
Review / QA4.0 h

32.0 hours of engineering $5,800

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References

Primary sources

supportportal.juniper.netVendor Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-39544 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2024-39544?

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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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 20.4 or later

Severity 5.0 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.2%

Affects: Junos Os Evolved

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Fix this in Junos Os Evolved 32 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $5,800

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You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References