CVE-2021-0234: Junos OS: QFX5100-96S: DDoS protection does not work as expected.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 23/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.94% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 61.3% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Low priority for now. Update when a fix is released; follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Due to an improper Initialization vulnerability on Juniper Networks Junos OS QFX5100-96S devices with QFX 5e Series image installed, ddos-protection configuration changes will not take effect beyond the default DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) settings when configured from the CLI. The DDoS protection (jddosd) daemon allows the device to continue to function while protecting the packet forwarding engine (PFE) during the DDoS attack. When this issue occurs, the default DDoS settings within the PFE apply, as CPU bound packets will be throttled and dropped in the PFE when the limits are exceeded. To check if the device has this issue, the administrator can execute the following command to monitor the status of DDoS protection: user@device> show ddos-protection protocols error: the ddos-protection subsystem is not running This issue affects only QFX5100-96S devices. No other products or platforms are affected by this issue. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS on QFX5100-96S: 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S10; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R3-S4; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R3-S10; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R3-S3; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R3-S2; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R2-S4, 18.4R3-S1; 19.1 versions prior to 19.1R3, 19.1R3-S4; 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R2; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R2;
- Published
- Apr 22, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.9% · 61th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-665
Report tools
Action score
23
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 23 / 40 · 5.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.9%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · juniper
- 5.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- juniper junos17.3
- juniper junos17.4
- juniper junos18.1
- juniper junos18.2
- juniper junos18.3
- juniper junos18.4
- juniper junos19.1
- juniper junos19.2
- juniper junos19.3
- juniper junos19.4
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (juniper). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- 17.3 and later · before 17.3R3-S10affected
- 17.4 and later · before 17.4R3-S4affected
- 18.1 and later · before 18.1R3-S10affected
- 18.2 and later · before 18.2R3-S3affected
- 18.3 and later · before 18.3R3-S2affected
- 18.4 and later · before 18.4R2-S4, 18.4R3-S1affected
- 19.1 and later · before 19.1R3, 19.1R3-S4affected
- 19.2 and later · before 19.2R2affected
- 19.3 and later · before 19.3R3affected
- 19.4 and later · before 19.4R2affected
Same product
juniper: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2023-36845Junos OS: EX and SRX Series: A PHP vulnerability in J-Web allows an unauthenticated to control an important environment variableKEV98Now
- CVE-2023-36846Junos OS: SRX Series: A vulnerability in J-Web allows an unauthenticated attacker to upload arbitrary filesKEV79This week
- CVE-2023-36844Junos OS: EX Series: A PHP vulnerability in J-Web allows an unauthenticated attacker to control important environment variablesKEV78This week
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-0231Apr 22, 2021 · Junos OS: SRX, vSRX Series: J-Web Path traversal vulnerability in SRX and vSRX Series leads to information disclosure.26Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-0233Apr 22, 2021 · Junos OS: ACX500 Series, ACX4000 Series: Denial of Service due to FFEB crash while processing high rate of specific packets.30Monitor
- Later →CVE-2021-0235Apr 22, 2021 · Junos OS: SRX1500, SRX4100, SRX4200, SRX4600, SRX5000 Series with SPC2/SPC3, vSRX Series: In a multi-tenant environment, a tenant host administrator may…29Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- low · the service can be disrupted
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- Low
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-665 · Improper InitializationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.