CVE-2020-1660

CVE-2020-1660 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-362.

Key facts

Description

When DNS filtering is enabled on Juniper Networks Junos MX Series with one of the following cards MS-PIC, MS-MIC or MS-MPC, an incoming stream of packets processed by the Multiservices PIC Management Daemon (mspmand) process, responsible for managing "URL Filtering service", may crash, causing the Services PIC to restart. While the Services PIC is restarting, all PIC services including DNS filtering service (DNS sink holing) will be bypassed until the Services PIC completes its boot process. This vulnerability might allow an attacker to cause an extended Denial of Service (DoS) attack against the device and to cause clients to be vulnerable to DNS based attacks by malicious DNS servers when they send DNS requests through the device. As a result, devices which were once protected by the DNS Filtering service are no longer protected and at risk of exploitation. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S8; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S1; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R2; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3. This issue does not affect Juniper Networks Junos OS 17.4, 18.1, and 18.2.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-1660?
When DNS filtering is enabled on Juniper Networks Junos MX Series with one of the following cards MS-PIC, MS-MIC or MS-MPC, an incoming stream of packets processed by the Multiservices PIC Management Daemon (mspmand) process, responsible for managing "URL Filtering service", may crash, causing the Services PIC to restart. While the Services PIC is restarting, all PIC services including DNS filtering service (DNS sink holing) will be bypassed until the Services PIC completes its boot process. This vulnerability might allow an attacker to cause an extended Denial of Service (DoS) attack against the device and to cause clients to be vulnerable to DNS based attacks by malicious DNS servers when they send DNS requests through the device. As a result, devices which were once protected by the DNS Filtering service are no longer protected and at risk of exploitation. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S8; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S1; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R2; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3. This issue does not affect Juniper Networks Junos OS 17.4, 18.1, and 18.2.
How severe is CVE-2020-1660?
CVE-2020-1660 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2020-1660 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (52nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-1660?
CVE-2020-1660 primarily affects Juniper Junos. In total, 56 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-1660?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-1660 published?
CVE-2020-1660 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (56)

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