CVE-2021-0218

CVE-2021-0218 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-78.

Key facts

Description

A command injection vulnerability in the license-check daemon of Juniper Networks Junos OS that may allow a locally authenticated attacker with low privileges to execute commands with root privilege. license-check is a daemon used to manage licenses in Junos OS. To update licenses, a user executes the command 'request system license update' via the CLI. An attacker with access to this CLI command may be able to exploit the vulnerability. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S9; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2-S12, 17.4R3-S3; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S11; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S6; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S4; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3-S6; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R1-S6, 19.1R2-S2, 19.1R3-S3; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R3-S1; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R2-S5, 19.3R3; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R2-S2, 19.4R3; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R1-S4, 20.1R2; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R1-S2, 20.2R2.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-0218?
A command injection vulnerability in the license-check daemon of Juniper Networks Junos OS that may allow a locally authenticated attacker with low privileges to execute commands with root privilege. license-check is a daemon used to manage licenses in Junos OS. To update licenses, a user executes the command 'request system license update' via the CLI. An attacker with access to this CLI command may be able to exploit the vulnerability. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S9; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2-S12, 17.4R3-S3; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S11; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S6; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S4; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3-S6; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R1-S6, 19.1R2-S2, 19.1R3-S3; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R3-S1; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R2-S5, 19.3R3; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R2-S2, 19.4R3; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R1-S4, 20.1R2; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R1-S2, 20.2R2.
How severe is CVE-2021-0218?
CVE-2021-0218 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-0218 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-0218?
CVE-2021-0218 primarily affects Juniper Junos. In total, 142 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-0218?
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-2021-0218 published?
CVE-2021-0218 was published on 2021-01-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (142)

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