# CVE-2023-44182: Privilege escalation in Junos OS

> Attackers can exploit unchecked return values in Junos OS interfaces to escalate privileges or access restricted files and operations.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rcf7-xjfr-3cgc

## What is CVE-2023-44182?

CVE-2023-44182 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos, published on 12 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An Unchecked Return Value vulnerability in the user interfaces to the Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved, the CLI, the XML API, the XML Management Protocol, the NETCONF Management Protocol, the gNMI interfaces, and the J-Web User Interfaces causes unintended effects such as demotion or elevation of privileges associated with an operators actions to occur.

Multiple scenarios may occur; for example: privilege escalation over the device or another account, access to files that should not otherwise be accessible, files not being accessible where they should be accessible, code expected to run as non-root may run as root, and so forth.

This issue affects:

Juniper Networks Junos OS

  *  All versions prior to 20.4R3-S7;
  *  21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S5;
  *  21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S5;
  *  21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S4;
  *  21.4 versions prior to 21.4R3-S3;
  *  22.1 versions prior to 22.1R3-S2;
  *  22.2 versions prior to 22.2R2-S2, 22.2R3;
  *  22.3 versions prior to 22.3R1-S2, 22.3R2.

Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved

  *  All versions prior to 21.4R3-S3-EVO;
  *  22.1-EVO version 22.1R1-EVO and later versions prior to 22.2R2-S2-EVO, 22.2R3-EVO;
  *  22.3-EVO versions prior to 22.3R1-S2-EVO, 22.3R2-EVO.

Weakness: CWE-252 (Unchecked Return Value)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-44182?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Juniper Junos, Juniper Junos Os Evolved.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-44182?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-44182 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-44182 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44182 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Juniper Junos

- [CVE-2023-36845](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36845/): Juniper Junos OS EX Series and SRX Series PHP External Variable Modification (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-1631](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1631/): Juniper Junos OS Path Traversal (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-21590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21590/): Juniper Junos OS Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization (medium 6.7, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-36851](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36851/): Juniper Junos OS SRX Series Missing Authentication for Critical Function (medium 5.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-36844](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36844/): Juniper Junos OS EX Series PHP External Variable Modification (medium 5.3, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-44182 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-44182 is a high-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos, published on 12 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44182 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Juniper Junos. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44182/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44182/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-44182
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-44182
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-44182

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44182/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.