An Origin Validation Error vulnerability in an insufficient protected file of Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX4600 Series and QFX5000 Series allows an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to create a backdoor which allows complete control of the system. When a device isn't configured with a root password, an attacker can modify a specific file. It's contents will be added to the Junos configuration of the device without being visible. This allows for the addition of any configuration unknown to the actual operator, which includes users, IP addresses and other configuration which could allow unauthorized access to the device. This exploit is persistent across reboots and even zeroization. The indicator of compromise is a modified /etc/config/<platform>-defaults[-flex].conf file. Review that file for unexpected configuration statements, or compare it to an unmodified version which can be extracted from the original Juniper software image file. For details on the extraction procedure please contact Juniper Technical Assistance Center (JTAC). To restore the device to a trusted initial configuration the system needs to be reinstalled from physical media. This issue affects Junos OS on EX4600 Series and QFX5000 Series: * All versions before 21.4R3, * 22.2 versions before 22.2R3-S3.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8, with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 13 products from juniper, from juniper, from juniper and 10 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2025, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2025-10-09T16:15:45.657
2026-01-23T18:35:32.800
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 6.8 (MEDIUM)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | juniper | junos | < 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 21.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | juniper | junos | 22.2 | Yes |
| Hardware | juniper | ex4600 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | ex4650 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5110 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5120 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5130 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5200 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5210 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5220 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5230-64cd | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5240 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5241 | - | No |
| Hardware | juniper | qfx5700 | - | No |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For juniper's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.