CVE-2021-0270

Junos OS: PTX Series, QFX10K Series: A PTX/QFX FPC may restart unexpectedly with the "inline-Jflow" feature enabled on a large-scale deployment

Description

On PTX Series and QFX10k Series devices with the "inline-jflow" feature enabled, a use after free weakness in the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) microkernel architecture of Juniper Networks Junos OS may allow an attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition whereby one or more Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs) may restart. As this is a race condition situation this issue become more likely to be hit when network instability occurs, such as but not limited to BGP/IGP reconvergences, and/or further likely to occur when more active "traffic flows" are occurring through the device. When this issue occurs, it will cause one or more FPCs to restart unexpectedly. During FPC restarts core files will be generated. While the core file is generated traffic will be disrupted. Sustained receipt of large traffic flows and reconvergence-like situations may sustain the Denial of Service (DoS) situation. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS: 18.1 version 18.1R2 and later versions prior to 18.1R3-S10 on PTX Series, QFX10K Series.

Remediation

Solution:

  • The following software releases have been updated to resolve this specific issue: 16.1R7-S8, 17.2R3-S4, 17.3R3-S8, 17.4R2-S11, 17.4R3-S2, 18.1R3-S10, 18.2R1, and all subsequent releases.

Workaround:

  • If you are susceptible to this issue and unable to upgrade to software with the fix, you can deploy a workaround by disabling the “inline-flow” feature. To check for use and to disable the “inline-jflow” service on a device, see https://www.juniper.net/documentation/en_US/junos/topics/task/configuration/inline-flow-monitoring-ptx.html for additional details. Removing “inline-jflow” takes effect immediately and there is no need to restart the FPCs or the router. Once the feature is removed, the router no longer provides traffic data to the flow collector.

Category

7.5
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
CVSS 2.0 •
EPSS 0.33%
Vendor Advisory juniper.net Vendor Advisory juniper.net
Affected: Juniper Networks Junos OS
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2021-0270?
CVE-2021-0270 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2021-0270?
To fix CVE-2021-0270: The following software releases have been updated to resolve this specific issue: 16.1R7-S8, 17.2R3-S4, 17.3R3-S8, 17.4R2-S11, 17.4R3-S2, 18.1R3-S10, 18.2R1, and all subsequent releases.
Is CVE-2021-0270 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2021-0270 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2021-0270?
CVE-2021-0270 affects Juniper Networks Junos OS.
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