CVE-2023-44188 : Security Advisory and Response

A Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerability in telemetry processing of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows a network-based attacker to flood the system with multiple telemetry requests, leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) by crashing the Junos Kernel Debugging Streaming Daemon (jkdsd) process. This article provides an overview of CVE-2023-44188, its impact, technical details, mitigation steps, and more.

Understanding CVE-2023-44188

This section delves into the specifics of the CVE-2023-44188 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2023-44188?

The Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerability in Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an authenticated attacker to crash the jkdsd process by flooding the system with telemetry requests, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.

The Impact of CVE-2023-44188

The vulnerability impacts Juniper Networks Junos OS versions 20.4R3-S9 and later, except for versions prior to 19.4R1. It leads to a DoS condition by repeatedly crashing the jkdsd process as it continues to receive and process telemetry requests.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-44188

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

Multiple telemetry requests from different collectors trigger a crash in the jkdsd process due to a timing issue accessing stale memory, causing the process to restart and sustain the DoS condition.

Affected Systems and Versions

Various versions of Juniper Networks Junos OS are affected by this vulnerability, with specific release versions listed as susceptible.

Exploitation Mechanism

There are no known instances of malicious exploitation of this vulnerability by Juniper SIRT.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to mitigate the CVE-2023-44188 vulnerability in this section.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Junos OS to versions that resolve the vulnerability, as outlined by Juniper Networks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Ensure timely security patches and updates for Junos OS to prevent potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

The following Junos OS versions have been updated to address the CVE-2023-44188 vulnerability: 20.4R3-S9, 21.2R3-S6, 21.4R3-S5, 22.1R3-S4, 22.2R3-S2, 22.3R2-S1, 22.3R2-S2, 22.3R3-S1, 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3, 23.1R2, 23.2R1, 23.2R2, 23.3R1, and subsequent releases.

Meta Information

Meta Title: CVE-2023-44188: Junos OS TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability
Meta Description: Learn about CVE-2023-44188, a Time-of-check Time-of-use Race Condition vulnerability in Juniper Networks Junos OS that can lead to a Denial of Service attack.