CVE-2021-0251

CVE-2021-0251 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.6. 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-476.

Key facts

Description

A NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in the Captive Portal Content Delivery (CPCD) services daemon (cpcd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series with MS-PIC, MS-SPC3, MS-MIC or MS-MPC allows an attacker to send malformed HTTP packets to the device thereby causing a Denial of Service (DoS), crashing the Multiservices PIC Management Daemon (mspmand) process thereby denying users the ability to login, while concurrently impacting other mspmand services and traffic through the device. Continued receipt and processing of these malformed packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. While the Services PIC is restarting, all PIC services will be bypassed until the Services PIC completes its boot process. An attacker sending these malformed HTTP packets to the device who is not part of the Captive Portal experience is not able to exploit this issue. This issue is not applicable to MX RE-based CPCD platforms. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series 17.3 version 17.3R1 and later versions prior to 17.4 versions 17.4R2-S9, 17.4R3-S2; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S9; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S3; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S1; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R2-S2, 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 versions prior to 17.3R1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-0251?
A NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in the Captive Portal Content Delivery (CPCD) services daemon (cpcd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series with MS-PIC, MS-SPC3, MS-MIC or MS-MPC allows an attacker to send malformed HTTP packets to the device thereby causing a Denial of Service (DoS), crashing the Multiservices PIC Management Daemon (mspmand) process thereby denying users the ability to login, while concurrently impacting other mspmand services and traffic through the device. Continued receipt and processing of these malformed packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. While the Services PIC is restarting, all PIC services will be bypassed until the Services PIC completes its boot process. An attacker sending these malformed HTTP packets to the device who is not part of the Captive Portal experience is not able to exploit this issue. This issue is not applicable to MX RE-based CPCD platforms. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series 17.3 version 17.3R1 and later versions prior to 17.4 versions 17.4R2-S9, 17.4R3-S2; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S9; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S3; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S1; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R3; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R2-S2, 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 versions prior to 17.3R1.
How severe is CVE-2021-0251?
CVE-2021-0251 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.6, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-0251 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-0251?
CVE-2021-0251 primarily affects Juniper Junos. In total, 129 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-0251?
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-2021-0251 published?
CVE-2021-0251 was published on 2021-04-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (129)

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