CVE-2024-21599

Junos OS: MX Series: MPC3E memory leak with PTP configuration

Published Jan 12, 2024 CVSS 3.1 · 6.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description

A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).

If an MX Series device receives PTP packets on an MPC3E that doesn't support PTP this causes a memory leak which will result in unpredictable behavior and ultimately in an MPC crash and restart.

To monitor for this issue, please use the following FPC vty level commands:

show heap
shows an increase in "LAN buffer" utilization and

show clksync ptp nbr-upd-info
shows non-zero "Pending PFEs" counter.

This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series with MPC3E:



* All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S3;
* 21.1 versions earlier than 21.1R3-S4;
* 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3;
* 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R2-S1, 21.3R3;
* 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R2;
* 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R2.






Remediation

Vendor Solution

The following software releases have been updated to resolve this specific issue: Junos OS 20.4R3-S3, 21.1R3-S4, 21.2R3, 21.3R2-S1, 21.3R3, 21.4R2, 22.1R2, 22.2R1, and all subsequent releases.


Vendor Workaround

Although not a workaround the leaked memory can be recovered by: deactivate protocol ptp; commit; activate protocol ptp; commit.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2024-19247 A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). If an MX Series device receives PTP packets on an MPC3E that doesn't support PTP this causes a memory leak which will result in unpredictable behavior and ultimately in an MPC crash and restart. To monitor for this issue, please use the following FPC vty level commands: show heap shows an increase in "LAN buffer" utilization and show clksync ptp nbr-upd-info shows non-zero "Pending PFEs" counter. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series with MPC3E: * All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S3; * 21.1 versions earlier than 21.1R3-S4; * 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3; * 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R2-S1, 21.3R3; * 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R2; * 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R2.
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
juniper
Published
Updated
Jun 16, 2025, 6:33 PM
Reserved
Dec 27, 2023, 7:38 PM
Status
Modified
Published
Jan 12, 2024, 1:15 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 7:09 AM