# CVE-2023-44196: Junos OS Evolved: PTX10003 Series: Packets which are not destined to the router can reach the RE

> An unauthenticated adjacent attacker can cause transit MPLS packets to reach the Routing Engine, compromising system integrity.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 18 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ghc9-27wr-4w58

## What is CVE-2023-44196?

CVE-2023-44196 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos Os Evolved, published on 12 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions in the Packet Forwarding Engine (pfe) of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved on PTX10003 Series allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause an impact to the integrity of the system.

When specific transit MPLS packets are received by the PFE, these packets are internally forwarded to the RE. This issue is a prerequisite for CVE-2023-44195.

This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:

  *  All versions prior to 20.4R3-S8-EVO;
  *  21.1-EVO version 21.1R1-EVO and later;
  *  21.2-EVO versions prior to 21.2R3-S6-EVO;
  *  21.3-EVO version 21.3R1-EVO and later;
  *  21.4-EVO versions prior to 21.4R3-S3-EVO;
  *  22.1-EVO versions prior to 22.1R3-S4-EVO;
  *  22.2-EVO versions prior to 22.2R3-S3-EVO;
  *  22.3-EVO versions prior to 22.3R2-S2-EVO, 22.3R3-EVO;
  *  22.4-EVO versions prior to 22.4R2-EVO.

Weakness: CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-44196?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Juniper Junos Os Evolved.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-44196?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-44196 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-44196 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Juniper Junos Os Evolved

- [CVE-2026-21902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21902/): Junos OS Evolved: PTX Series: A vulnerability allows a unauthenticated, network-based attacker to execute code as root (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2023-28983](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28983/): Junos OS Evolved: Shell Injection vulnerability in the gNOI server (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-21599](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21599/): Denial of service in Junos OS Evolved (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2024-47502](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47502/): Junos OS Evolved: TCP session state is not always cleared on the Routing Engine leading to DoS (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2024-39531](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39531/): Junos OS Evolved: ACX 7000 Series: Protocol specific DDoS configuration affects other protocols (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-44196 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-44196 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos Os Evolved, published on 12 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Juniper Junos Os Evolved. 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-2023-44196/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44196/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-44196
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-44196
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-44196

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44196/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.