CVE-2021-0242

Junos OS: EX4300: FPC crash upon receipt of specific frames on an interface without L2PT or dot1x configured

MEDIUM
6.5
CVSS Score
Published: April 22, 2021 at 07:37 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 03:29 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsJunosEx4300

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Severity
MEDIUM6.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.4%

Description

A vulnerability due to the improper handling of direct memory access (DMA) buffers on EX4300 switches on Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an attacker sending specific unicast frames to trigger a Denial of Service (DoS) condition by exhausting DMA buffers, causing the FPC to crash and the device to restart. The DMA buffer leak is seen when receiving these specific, valid unicast frames on an interface without Layer 2 Protocol Tunneling (L2PT) or dot1x configured. Interfaces with either L2PT or dot1x configured are not vulnerable to this issue. When this issue occurs, DMA buffer usage keeps increasing and the following error log messages may be observed: Apr 14 14:29:34.360 /kernel: pid 64476 (pfex_junos), uid 0: exited on signal 11 (core dumped) Apr 14 14:29:33.790 init: pfe-manager (PID 64476) terminated by signal number 11. Core dumped! The DMA buffers on the FPC can be monitored by the executing vty command 'show heap': ID Base Total(b) Free(b) Used(b) % Name -- ---------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --- ----------- 0 4a46000 268435456 238230496 30204960 11 Kernel 1 18a46000 67108864 17618536 49490328 73 Bcm_sdk 2 23737000 117440512 18414552 99025960 84 DMA buf <<<<< keeps increasing 3 2a737000 16777216 16777216 0 0 DMA desc This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on the EX4300: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S11; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R2-S13, 17.4R3-S4; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S12; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R2-S8, 18.2R3-S7; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S4; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R1-S8, 18.4R2-S7, 18.4R3-S7; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R1-S6, 19.1R2-S2, 19.1R3-S4; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S6, 19.2R3-S2; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S2; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R2-S3, 19.4R3-S1; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R2; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R2-S1, 20.2R3; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R1-S1, 20.3R2.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

17.3 ≤ v < 17.3R3-S1117.4 ≤ v < 17.4R2-S13, 17.4R3-S418.1 ≤ v < 18.1R3-S1218.2 ≤ v < 18.2R2-S8, 18.2R3-S718.3 ≤ v < 18.3R3-S418.4 ≤ v < 18.4R1-S8, 18.4R2-S7, 18.4R3-S719.1 ≤ v < 19.1R1-S6, 19.1R2-S2, 19.1R3-S419.2 ≤ v < 19.2R1-S6, 19.2R3-S219.3 ≤ v < 19.3R3-S219.4 ≤ v < 19.4R2-S3, 19.4R3-S120.1 ≤ v < 20.1R220.2 ≤ v < 20.2R2-S1, 20.2R320.3 ≤ v < 20.3R1-S1, 20.3R217.317.3 r117.3 r1-s117.3 r1-s417.3 r217.3 r2-s117.3 r2-s217.3 r2-s317.3 r2-s417.3 r2-s517.3 r317.3 r3-s117.3 r3-s1017.3 r3-s217.3 r3-s317.3 r3-s417.3 r3-s517.3 r3-s617.3 r3-s717.3 r3-s817.3 r3-s917.417.4 r117.4 r1-s117.4 r1-s217.4 r1-s317.4 r1-s417.4 r1-s517.4 r1-s617.4 r1-s717.4 r217.4 r2-s117.4 r2-s1017.4 r2-s1117.4 r2-s1217.4 r2-s217.4 r2-s317.4 r2-s417.4 r2-s517.4 r2-s617.4 r2-s717.4 r2-s817.4 r2-s917.4 r317.4 r3-s117.4 r3-s217.4 r3-s318.118.1 r118.1 r218.1 r2-s118.1 r2-s218.1 r2-s418.1 r318.1 r3-s118.1 r3-s1018.1 r3-s1118.1 r3-s218.1 r3-s318.1 r3-s418.1 r3-s518.1 r3-s618.1 r3-s718.1 r3-s818.1 r3-s918.218.2 r118.2 r1-s218.2 r1-s318.2 r1-s418.2 r1-s518.2 r218.2 r2-s118.2 r2-s218.2 r2-s318.2 r2-s418.2 r2-s518.2 r2-s618.2 r2-s718.2 r318.2 r3-s118.2 r3-s218.2 r3-s318.2 r3-s418.2 r3-s518.2 r3-s618.318.3 r118.3 r1-s118.3 r1-s218.3 r1-s318.3 r1-s418.3 r1-s518.3 r1-s618.3 r218.3 r2-s118.3 r2-s218.3 r2-s318.3 r2-s418.3 r318.3 r3-s118.3 r3-s218.3 r3-s318.418.4 r118.4 r1-s118.4 r1-s218.4 r1-s318.4 r1-s418.4 r1-s518.4 r1-s618.4 r1-s718.4 r218.4 r2-s118.4 r2-s218.4 r2-s318.4 r2-s418.4 r2-s518.4 r2-s618.4 r318.4 r3-s118.4 r3-s218.4 r3-s318.4 r3-s418.4 r3-s518.4 r3-s619.119.1 r119.1 r1-s119.1 r1-s219.1 r1-s319.1 r1-s419.1 r1-s519.1 r219.1 r2-s119.1 r319.1 r3-s119.1 r3-s219.1 r3-s319.219.2 r119.2 r1-s119.2 r1-s219.2 r1-s319.2 r1-s419.2 r1-s519.2 r219.2 r2-s119.2 r319.2 r3-s119.319.3 r119.3 r1-s119.3 r219.3 r2-s119.3 r2-s219.3 r2-s319.3 r2-s419.3 r2-s519.3 r319.419.4 r119.4 r1-s119.4 r1-s219.4 r219.4 r2-s119.4 r2-s219.4 r320.120.1 r120.1 r1-s120.1 r1-s220.1 r1-s320.1 r1-s420.220.2 r120.2 r1-s120.2 r1-s220.2 r1-s320.2 r220.320.3 r1
Affected range stops below 17.3R3-S11, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 17.4R2-S13, 17.4R3-S4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 18.1R3-S12, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 18.2R2-S8, 18.2R3-S7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 18.3R3-S4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 18.4R1-S8, 18.4R2-S7, 18.4R3-S7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 19.1R1-S6, 19.1R2-S2, 19.1R3-S4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 19.2R1-S6, 19.2R3-S2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 19.3R3-S2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 19.4R2-S3, 19.4R3-S1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 20.1R2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 20.2R2-S1, 20.2R3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 20.3R1-S1, 20.3R2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
juniper-ex4300 (environment)
All versions

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

Patch and advisory references

References (1)

x_refsource_MISCVendor Advisory
https://kb.juniper.net/JSA11135

CVSS

6.5MEDIUMjuniper
Attack Vector
ADJACENT_NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-119CWE-241CWE-770

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