CVE-2022-22172
Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved: An l2cpd memory leak can occur when specific LLDP packets are received leading to a DoS
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control protocols daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause a memory leak. Continued exploitation can lead to memory exhaustion and thereby a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when specific LLDP packets are received. The impact of the l2cpd cores is that if any of the stp protocols (rstp, mstp or vstp) is used then stp re-converges and traffic loss will occur during that time. Also if any services depend on LLDP state (like PoE or VoIP device recognition) then these will also be affected. The memory utilization of the L2CPd process can be monitored with the following command: user@host> show system processes extensive | match l2cpd 1234 root 52 0 521M 43412K RUN 1 4:02 34.47% l2cpd This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS 18.4 version 18.4R2-S4 and later versions prior to 18.4R2-S10. 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S5; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S7; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R3-S3; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S1; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R2-S2, 21.1R3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2; Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 version 21.1R1-EVO and later versions; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2-EVO. This issue does not affect: Juniper Networks Junos OS 19.1 version 19.1R1 and later versions.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
6.5
Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved: An l2cpd memory leak can occur when specific LLDP packets are received leading to a DoS
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control protocols daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause a memory leak. Continued exploitation can lead to memory exhaustion and thereby a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when specific LLDP packets are received. The impact of the l2cpd cores is that if any of the stp protocols (rstp, mstp or vstp) is used then stp re-converges and traffic loss will occur during that time. Also if any services depend on LLDP state (like PoE or VoIP device recognition) then these will also be affected. The memory utilization of the L2CPd process can be monitored with the following command: user@host> show system processes extensive | match l2cpd 1234 root 52 0 521M 43412K RUN 1 4:02 34.47% l2cpd This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS 18.4 version 18.4R2-S4 and later versions prior to 18.4R2-S10. 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S5; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S7; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R3-S3; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S1; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R2-S2, 21.1R3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2; Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 version 21.1R1-EVO and later versions; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2-EVO. This issue does not affect: Juniper Networks Junos OS 19.1 version 19.1R1 and later versions.
- Record
CVE-2022-22172- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-27319
6.5
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control protocols daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause a memory leak. Continued exploitation can lead to memory exhaustion and thereby a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when specific LLDP packets are received. The impact of the l2cpd cores is that if any of the stp protocols (rstp, mstp or vstp) is used then stp re-converges and traffic loss will occur during that time. Also if any services depend on LLDP state (like PoE or VoIP device recognition) then these will also be affected. The memory utilization of the L2CPd process can be monitored with the following command: user@host> show system processes extensive | match l2cpd 1234 root 52 0 521M 43412K RUN 1 4:02 34.47% l2cpd This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS 18.4 version 18.4R2-S4 and later versions prior to 18.4R2-S10. 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S5; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S7; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R3-S3; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S1; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R2-S2, 21.1R3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2; Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 version 21.1R1-EVO and later versions; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2-EVO. This issue does not affect: Juniper Networks Junos OS 19.1 version 19.1R1 and later versions.
- Record
EUVD-2022-27319- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-v6f8-xxj7-93g3 No score
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control...
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control protocols daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause a memory leak. Continued exploitation can lead to memory exhaustion and thereby a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when specific LLDP packets are received. The impact of the l2cpd cores is that if any of the stp protocols (rstp, mstp or vstp) is used then stp re-converges and traffic loss will occur during that time. Also if any services depend on LLDP state (like PoE or VoIP device recognition) then these will also be affected. The memory utilization of the L2CPd process can be monitored with the following command: user@host> show system processes extensive | match l2cpd 1234 root 52 0 521M 43412K RUN 1 4:02 34.47% l2cpd This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS 18.4 version 18.4R2-S4 and later versions prior to 18.4R2-S10. 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S5; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S7; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R3-S3; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S1; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R2-S2, 21.1R3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2; Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 version 21.1R1-EVO and later versions; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2-EVO. This issue does not affect: Juniper Networks Junos OS 19.1 version 19.1R1 and later versions.
- Record
GHSA-v6f8-xxj7-93g3- Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
6.5
A Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in the Layer-2 control protocols daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated adjacent attacker to cause a memory leak. Continued exploitation can lead to memory exhaustion and thereby a Denial of Service (DoS). This issue occurs when specific LLDP packets are received. The impact of the l2cpd cores is that if any of the stp protocols (rstp, mstp or vstp) is used then stp re-converges and traffic loss will occur during that time. Also if any services depend on LLDP state (like PoE or VoIP device recognition) then these will also be affected. The memory utilization of the L2CPd process can be monitored with the following command: user@host> show system processes extensive | match l2cpd 1234 root 52 0 521M 43412K RUN 1 4:02 34.47% l2cpd This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS 18.4 version 18.4R2-S4 and later versions prior to 18.4R2-S10. 19.2 versions prior to 19.2R1-S8, 19.2R3-S4; 19.3 versions prior to 19.3R3-S5; 19.4 versions prior to 19.4R3-S7; 20.1 versions prior to 20.1R3-S3; 20.2 versions prior to 20.2R3-S2; 20.3 versions prior to 20.3R3-S1; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R2-S2, 21.1R3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2; Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved All versions prior to 20.4R3-S2-EVO; 21.1 version 21.1R1-EVO and later versions; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R2-EVO. This issue does not affect: Juniper Networks Junos OS 19.1 version 19.1R1 and later versions.
- Record
CVE-2022-22172- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 3.3 Low
AV:A/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-401
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2022-22172 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Juniper Junos, published January 19, 2022. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.37%, the 30th percentile. No source names a fixed version.