CVE-2025-59957: Junos OS: EX4600 Series and QFX5000 Series: An attacker with physical access can open a persistent backdoor
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 28/100)
- 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: 0.18% (FIRST EPSS).
- Physical access to the device is required. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Juniper Networks Junos OS 21.4R3, 22.2R3-S3.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Juniper Networks Junos OS 21.4R3, 22.2R3-S3 or later.
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
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.
- Published
- Oct 9, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 8, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 8th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-346
Report tools
Action score
28
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · juniper
- 6.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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
- A fix has been released
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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| juniper | junos | cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos |
| juniper | ex4600 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:ex4600 |
| juniper | ex4650 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:ex4650 |
| juniper | qfx5110 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5110 |
| juniper | qfx5120 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5120 |
| juniper | qfx5130 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5130 |
| juniper | qfx5200 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5200 |
| juniper | qfx5210 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5210 |
| juniper | qfx5220 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5220 |
| juniper | qfx5230-64cd | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5230-64cd |
| juniper | qfx5240 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5240 |
| juniper | qfx5241 | cpe:2.3:h:juniper:qfx5241 |
and 1 more
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- juniper junosbefore 21.4
- juniper junos21.4
- juniper junos22.2
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
- before 21.4R3affected · semver
- 22.2 and later · before 22.2R3-S3affected · semver
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-2025-6549Jul 11, 2025 · Junos OS: SRX Series: J-Web can be exposed on additional interfaces27Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-52960Oct 9, 2025 · Junos OS: SRX Series and MX Series: Receipt of specific SIP packets in a high utilization situation causes a flowd/mspmand crash32Monitor
- Later →CVE-2025-59962Oct 9, 2025 · Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved: With BGP sharding enabled, change in indirect next-hop can cause RPD crash24Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juniper Networks Junos OS | 21.4R3 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Juniper Networks Junos OS | 22.2R3-S3 | Vendor (CNA) |
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
- Physical access to the device is required.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-346 · Origin Validation ErrorCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:N/R:U/V:X/RE:H/U:X
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)
- JSON Hijacking (aka JavaScript Hijacking)CAPEC-111likelihood: High · High
- Cache PoisoningCAPEC-141likelihood: High · High
- DNS Cache PoisoningCAPEC-142likelihood: High · High
- Exploit Script-Based APIsCAPEC-160Medium
- Exploitation of Trusted IdentifiersCAPEC-21likelihood: High · High
- Application API Message Manipulation via Man-in-the-MiddleCAPEC-384Low
- Transaction or Event Tampering via Application API ManipulationCAPEC-385Medium
- Application API Navigation RemappingCAPEC-386Medium
ATT&CK techniques
- Access Token ManipulationT1134
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
- Steal Application Access TokenT1528
- Steal Web Session CookieT1539
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Web Session CookieT1550.004
- Adversary-in-the-Middle: ARP Cache PoisoningT1557.002
- Compromise Infrastructure: DNS ServerT1584.002
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Show all references (2 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.