Junos OS: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
CVE-2025-52981 is a high-severity improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions vulnerability in Junos OS from Juniper Networks, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 21.2R3-S9, 21.4R3-S11, 22.2R3-S7 as the first without the flaw, so updating Junos OS to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Junos OS to 21.2R3-S9 or 21.4R3-S11 or 22.2R3-S7 or 22.4R3-S6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Junos to 21.2 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on supportportal.juniper.net for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper Networks | Junos OS | before 21.2R3-S9; 21.4 up to, but not including, 21.4R3-S11; 22.2 up to, but not including, 22.2R3-S7; 22.4 up to, but not including, 22.4R3-S6; 23.2 up to, but not including, 23.2R2-S4; 23.4 up to, but not including, 23.4R2-S4; 24.2 up to, but not including, 24.2R2 | 21.2R3-S9, 21.4R3-S11, 22.2R3-S7, 22.4R3-S6, 23.2R2-S4, 23.4R2-S4 |
| Juniper Networks | Junos | before 21.2; 21.2; 21.4; 22.2; 22.4; 23.2; 23.4; 24.2 | 21.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (juniper.net).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA (juniper.net) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | CNA (juniper.net) |
Official description
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in the flow processing daemon (flowd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX1600, SRX2300, SRX 4000 Series, and SRX5000 Series with SPC3 allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial-of-Service (DoS). If a sequence of specific PIM packets is received, this will cause a flowd crash and restart. This issue affects Junos OS: * all versions before 21.2R3-S9, * 21.4 versions before 21.4R3-S11, * 22.2 versions before 22.2R3-S7, * 22.4 versions before 22.4R3-S6, * 23.2 versions before 23.2R2-S4, * 23.4 versions before 23.4R2-S4, * 24.2 versions before 24.2R2. This is a similar, but different vulnerability than the issue reported as CVE-2024-47503, published in JSA88133.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Choose languages with features such as exception handling that force the programmer to anticipate unusual conditions that may generate exceptions. Custom exceptions may need to be developed to handle unusual business-logic conditions. Be careful not to pass sensitive exceptions back to the user (CWE-209, CWE-248).
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
- If using exception handling, catch and throw specific exceptions instead of overly-general exceptions (CWE-396, CWE-397). Catch and handle exceptions as locally as possible so that exceptions do not propagate too far up the call stack (CWE-705). Avoid unchecked or uncaught exceptions where feasible (CWE-248).
More Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities (CWE-754)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Junos OS
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities
- 8.0 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.