CVE-2021-0272

CVE-2021-0272 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-401.

Key facts

Description

A kernel memory leak in QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q, QFX10008, QFX10016 devices Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs) on Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an attacker to send genuine packets destined to the device to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) to the device. On QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q devices the device will crash and restart. On QFX10008, QFX10016 devices, depending on the number of FPCs involved in an attack, one more more FPCs may crash and traffic through the device may be degraded in other ways, until the attack traffic stops. A reboot is required to restore service and clear the kernel memory. Continued receipt and processing of these genuine packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. On QFX10008, QFX10016 devices, an indicator of compromise may be the existence of DCPFE core files. You can also monitor PFE memory utilization for incremental growth: user@qfx-RE:0% cprod -A fpc0 -c "show heap 0" | grep -i ke 0 3788a1b0 3221225048 2417120656 804104392 24 Kernel user@qfx-RE:0% cprod -A fpc0 -c "show heap 0" | grep -i ke 0 3788a1b0 3221225048 2332332200 888892848 27 Kernel This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS on QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q, QFX10008, QFX10016: 16.1 versions 16.1R1 and above prior to 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S9; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R3-S2; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S11; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S5; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S3; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R2-S5, 18.4R3-S4; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3-S2; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R3; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R2. This issue does not affect releases prior to Junos OS 16.1R1. This issue does not affect EX Series devices. This issue does not affect Junos OS Evolved.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-0272?
A kernel memory leak in QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q, QFX10008, QFX10016 devices Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs) on Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an attacker to send genuine packets destined to the device to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) to the device. On QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q devices the device will crash and restart. On QFX10008, QFX10016 devices, depending on the number of FPCs involved in an attack, one more more FPCs may crash and traffic through the device may be degraded in other ways, until the attack traffic stops. A reboot is required to restore service and clear the kernel memory. Continued receipt and processing of these genuine packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. On QFX10008, QFX10016 devices, an indicator of compromise may be the existence of DCPFE core files. You can also monitor PFE memory utilization for incremental growth: user@qfx-RE:0% cprod -A fpc0 -c "show heap 0" | grep -i ke 0 3788a1b0 3221225048 2417120656 804104392 24 Kernel user@qfx-RE:0% cprod -A fpc0 -c "show heap 0" | grep -i ke 0 3788a1b0 3221225048 2332332200 888892848 27 Kernel This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS on QFX10002-32Q, QFX10002-60C, QFX10002-72Q, QFX10008, QFX10016: 16.1 versions 16.1R1 and above prior to 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S9; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R3-S2; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S11; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S5; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S3; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R2-S5, 18.4R3-S4; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3-S2; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R3; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R2. This issue does not affect releases prior to Junos OS 16.1R1. This issue does not affect EX Series devices. This issue does not affect Junos OS Evolved.
How severe is CVE-2021-0272?
CVE-2021-0272 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-0272 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-0272?
CVE-2021-0272 primarily affects Juniper Junos. In total, 235 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-0272?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-0272 published?
CVE-2021-0272 was published on 2021-04-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (235)

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