CVE-2025-21601

CVE-2025-21601 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-573.

Key facts

Description

An Improper Following of Specification by Caller vulnerability in web management (J-Web, Captive Portal, 802.1X, Juniper Secure Connect (JSC) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX Series, EX Series, MX240, MX480, MX960, QFX5120 Series, allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker, sending genuine traffic targeted to the device to cause the CPU to climb until the device becomes unresponsive. Continuous receipt of these packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. This issue affects Junos OS:  * All versions before 21.4R3-S9, * from 22.2 before 22.2R3-S5, * from 22.4 before 22.4R3-S4, * from 23.2 before 23.2R2-S3, * from 23.4 before 23.4R2-S3, * from 24.2 before 24.2R1-S1, 24.2R2. An indicator of compromise is to review the CPU % of the httpd process in the CLI: e.g.   show system processes extensive | match httpd  PID nobody       52   0   20M    191M select   2   0:01   80.00% httpd{httpd} <<<<< the percentage of httpd usage if high may be an indicator

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-21601?
An Improper Following of Specification by Caller vulnerability in web management (J-Web, Captive Portal, 802.1X, Juniper Secure Connect (JSC) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX Series, EX Series, MX240, MX480, MX960, QFX5120 Series, allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker, sending genuine traffic targeted to the device to cause the CPU to climb until the device becomes unresponsive. Continuous receipt of these packets will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. This issue affects Junos OS:  * All versions before 21.4R3-S9, * from 22.2 before 22.2R3-S5, * from 22.4 before 22.4R3-S4, * from 23.2 before 23.2R2-S3, * from 23.4 before 23.4R2-S3, * from 24.2 before 24.2R1-S1, 24.2R2. An indicator of compromise is to review the CPU % of the httpd process in the CLI: e.g.   show system processes extensive | match httpd  PID nobody       52   0   20M    191M select   2   0:01   80.00% httpd{httpd} <<<<< the percentage of httpd usage if high may be an indicator
How severe is CVE-2025-21601?
CVE-2025-21601 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, 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-2025-21601 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-21601?
CVE-2025-21601 primarily affects Juniper Junos. In total, 55 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-21601?
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.
Does CVE-2025-21601 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-21601 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-10526.
When was CVE-2025-21601 published?
CVE-2025-21601 was published on 2025-04-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (55)

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