CVE-2023-22404: An Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange Protocol daemon (iked) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX series and MX with SPC3 a...

Description

An Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange Protocol daemon (iked) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX series and MX with SPC3 allows an authenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). iked will crash and restart, and the tunnel will not come up when a peer sends a specifically formatted payload during the negotiation. This will impact other IKE negotiations happening at the same time. Continued receipt of this specifically formatted payload will lead to continuous crashing of iked and thereby the inability for any IKE negotiations to take place. Note that this payload is only processed after the authentication has successfully completed. So the issue can only be exploited by an attacker who can successfully authenticate. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX Series, and MX Series with SPC3: All versions prior to 19.3R3-S7; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S9; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S5; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S5; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S4; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S2; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S1; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2-S1, 21.4R3; 22.1 versions prior to 22.1R1-S2, 22.1R2.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.63%

45.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Juniper	Junos	< 19.3	—
Juniper	Junos	19.3	—
Juniper	Junos	19.4	—
Juniper	Junos	20.2	—
Juniper	Junos	20.3	—
Juniper	Junos	20.4	—
Juniper	Junos	21.1	—
Juniper	Junos	21.2	—
Juniper	Junos	21.3	—
Juniper	Junos	21.4	—
Juniper	Junos	22.1	R1

References

https://kb.juniper.net/JSA70200Vendor Advisory
https://kb.juniper.net/JSA70200Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 13, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-22404?

An Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange Protocol daemon (iked) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX series and MX with SPC3 allows an authenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). iked will crash and restart, and the tunnel will not come up when a peer sends a specifically formatted payload during the negotiation. This will impact other IKE negotiations happening at the same time. Continued receipt of this specifically formatted payload will lead to continuous crashing of iked and thereby the inability for any IKE negotiations to take place. Note that this payload is only processed after the authentication has successfully completed. So the issue can only be exploited by an attacker who can successfully authenticate. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX Series, and MX Series with SPC3: All versions prior to 19.3R3-S7; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S9; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S5; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S5; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S4; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S2; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S1; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2-S1, 21.4R3; 22.1 versions prior to 22.1R1-S2, 22.1R2.

How severe is CVE-2023-22404?

CVE-2023-22404 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.63% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-22404?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.