Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-28965

Juniper Junos ≤ 19.3

Published
17 April 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0062 46th percentile
Risk Priority 51 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-28965 is a medium-severity Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions (CWE-703) vulnerability in Juniper Junos. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Service Stop (T1489); ranked at the 46th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions within the storm control feature of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an attacker sending a high rate of traffic to cause a Denial of Service. Continued receipt and processing of these packets…

more

will create a sustained Denial of Service (DoS) condition. Storm control monitors the level of applicable incoming traffic and compares it with the level specified. If the combined level of the applicable traffic exceeds the specified level, the switch drops packets for the controlled traffic types. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on QFX10002: All versions prior to 19.3R3-S7; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S11; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S6; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S5; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S4; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S3; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1489 Service Stop Impact
Adversaries may stop or disable services on a system to render those services unavailable to legitimate users.
T1499 Endpoint Denial of Service Impact
Adversaries may perform Endpoint Denial of Service (DoS) attacks to degrade or block the availability of services to users.
T1499.004 Application or System Exploitation Impact
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities that can cause an application or system to crash and deny availability to users.
T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-28959Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2023-36842Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2024-39514Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2023-36849Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2023-28970Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2024-30397Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2024-39530Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2024-21603Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2023-28979Same product: Juniper Junos
CVE-2023-28975Same product: Juniper Junos

Affected Assets

juniper
junos
19.3, 19.4, 20.2, 20.4, 21.1 · ≤ 19.3

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 7 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Implements explicit check and handling for the exceptional condition of audit logging process failure.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Provides a defined response to detected conditions by restricting operation, ensuring exceptional conditions are handled rather than ignored or mishandled.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Contingency training equips users with defined procedures to check and respond to exceptional conditions during disruptions, reducing exploitation of mishandled errors.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Performing IR tests ensures exceptional conditions are properly checked and handled to enable effective response.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Testing and evaluation exercises error paths and exceptional conditions, surfacing improper handling that is then remediated through the defined process.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Mandates explicit, predictable handling of exceptional conditions rather than undefined continuation.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

Requires systematic prediction and handling of failure conditions, reducing the impact of unhandled exceptional states.

addresses: CWE-703 CWE-754

The required verification process supplies the missing checks for exceptional conditions affecting security functions.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices explicitly require anticipating and correctly handling exceptional conditions during design and coding.

DE.CM-09 partial match
prevents

Runtime monitoring of software and environments can detect adverse events triggered by unhandled exceptional conditions.

PR.PS-04 partial match
prevents

Generating logs of exceptions and errors enables detection of improper handling of unusual conditions.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance verifies handling of error and exceptional conditions.

A.8.15 Logging partial match
finds

Logging can record unhandled exceptions but does not prevent the weakness itself.

finds

Monitoring may detect symptoms of unhandled conditions but does not eliminate the root weakness.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates exception handling and input validation that directly prevent missing checks for unusual conditions.

prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for handling of exceptional conditions and error paths.

prevents

Secure system architecture and engineering principles require robust error and exception handling mechanisms.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248574 YUM must be configured to prevent the installation of patches, service packs, device drivers, or OL 8 system components that have not been digitally signed using a certificate that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-754
  • V-248575 OL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-754
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
  • V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-754

References