# CVE-2023-44201: Information disclosure in Junos OS

> A local authenticated attacker can read sensitive configuration files containing password hashes, leading to privilege escalation on Juniper devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ffxw-phw3-h58r

## What is CVE-2023-44201?

CVE-2023-44201 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos, published on 12 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability in a specific file of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows a local authenticated attacker to read configuration changes without having the permissions.

When a user with the respective permissions commits a configuration change, a specific file is created. That file is readable even by users with no permissions to access the configuration. This can lead to privilege escalation as the user can read the password hash when a password change is being committed.

This issue affects:

Juniper Networks Junos OS

  *  All versions prior to 20.4R3-S4;
  *  21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S4;
  *  21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S2;
  *  21.3 versions prior to 21.3R2-S2, 21.3R3-S1;
  *  21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2-S1, 21.4R3.

Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved

  *  All versions prior to 20.4R3-S4-EVO;
  *  21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S2-EVO;
  *  21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S2-EVO;
  *  21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S1-EVO;
  *  21.4 versions prior to 21.4R2-S2-EVO.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-44201?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Juniper Junos, Juniper Junos Os Evolved.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-44201?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-44201 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-44201 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44201 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-2023-44201 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-44201 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Juniper Junos, published on 12 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-44201 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-2023-44201/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44201/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-44201
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-44201
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-44201

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44201/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.