CVE-2023-28982 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A vulnerability has been identified in Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved that could allow an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) through a memory leak in scenarios involving BGP rib sharding.

Understanding CVE-2023-28982

This section delves into the specifics of CVE-2023-28982, covering the vulnerability, its impact, technical details, affected systems and versions, as well as mitigation and prevention steps.

What is CVE-2023-28982?

CVE-2023-28982 is a Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the routing protocol daemon of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved. This vulnerability allows attackers to trigger a Denial of Service (DoS) by causing a memory leak when updating an attribute of an active BGP route in a BGP rib sharding scenario.

The Impact of CVE-2023-28982

The impact of CVE-2023-28982 is significant as it can lead to a complete depletion of memory resources in the rpd process of affected systems. This depletion can result in the rpd process crashing and restarting, causing service disruptions and potential downtime.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-28982

In this section, we explore the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism associated with CVE-2023-28982.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a memory leak when an attribute of an active BGP route is updated in a BGP rib sharding scenario, leading to increased memory usage in the rpd process and eventual memory exhaustion.

Affected Systems and Versions

The following Juniper Networks products and versions are affected by CVE-2023-28982:

Junos OS: Versions 20.3 to 21.3 (specific versions detailed in the vulnerability report)
Junos OS Evolved: Versions 20.3R1-EVO to 21.3-EVO (specific versions detailed in the vulnerability report)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an unauthenticated, network-based attacker manipulating BGP routes in a rib sharding scenario to trigger the memory leak and subsequent Denial of Service condition.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the steps organizations can take to mitigate and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2023-28982.

Immediate Steps to Take

Monitor memory utilization using recommended CLI commands provided in the vulnerability report.
Implement vendor-provided software updates to address the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Juniper Networks products to the latest software releases to strengthen security posture.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to restrict unauthorized access to critical systems.

Patching and Updates

Juniper Networks has released software updates to address CVE-2023-28982:

For Junos OS Evolved: Update to versions 20.4R3-S6-EVO, 21.2R3-EVO, or 21.3R2-EVO, and subsequent releases.
For Junos OS: Update to versions 20.3R3-S2, 20.4R3-S6, 21.1R3, 21.2R3, 21.3R2, or later releases.

It is crucial for organizations to apply these patches promptly to eliminate the vulnerability and secure their network infrastructure.