CVE-2023-36842
Junos OS: jdhcpd will hang on receiving a specific DHCP packet
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon (jdhcpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause the jdhcpd to consume all the CPU cycles resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
On Junos OS devices with forward-snooped-client configured, if an attacker sends a specific DHCP packet to a non-configured interface, this will cause an infinite loop. The DHCP process will have to be restarted to recover the service.
This issue affects:
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9;
- 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7;
- 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5;
- 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5;
- 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4;
- 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3;
- 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2;
- 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3;
- 23.2 versions earlier than 23.2R2.
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
Junos OS: jdhcpd will hang on receiving a specific DHCP packet
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon (jdhcpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause the jdhcpd to consume all the CPU cycles resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
On Junos OS devices with forward-snooped-client configured, if an attacker sends a specific DHCP packet to a non-configured interface, this will cause an infinite loop. The DHCP process will have to be restarted to recover the service.
This issue affects:
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9;
- 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7;
- 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5;
- 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5;
- 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4;
- 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3;
- 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2;
- 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3;
- 23.2 versions earlier than 23.2R2.
- Record
CVE-2023-36842- 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-703
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-40762
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon (jdhcpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause the jdhcpd to consume all the CPU cycles resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
On Junos OS devices with forward-snooped-client configured, if an attacker sends a specific DHCP packet to a non-configured interface, this will cause an infinite loop. The DHCP process will have to be restarted to recover the service.
This issue affects:
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9;
- 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7;
- 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5;
- 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5;
- 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4;
- 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3;
- 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2;
- 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3;
- 23.2 versions earlier than 23.2R2.
- Record
EUVD-2023-40762- 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
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-fm73-gmgv-w8rr
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon ...
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon (jdhcpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause the jdhcpd to consume all the CPU cycles resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
On Junos OS devices with forward-snooped-client configured, if an attacker sends a specific DHCP packet to a non-configured interface, this will cause an infinite loop. The DHCP process will have to be restarted to recover the service.
This issue affects:
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9;
- 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7;
- 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5;
- 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5;
- 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4;
- 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3;
- 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2;
- 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3;
- 23.2 versions earlier than 23.2R2.
- Record
GHSA-fm73-gmgv-w8rr- 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-703, CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Juniper DHCP Daemon (jdhcpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to cause the jdhcpd to consume all the CPU cycles resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
On Junos OS devices with forward-snooped-client configured, if an attacker sends a specific DHCP packet to a non-configured interface, this will cause an infinite loop. The DHCP process will have to be restarted to recover the service.
This issue affects:
Juniper Networks Junos OS
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9;
- 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7;
- 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5;
- 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5;
- 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4;
- 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3;
- 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2;
- 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3;
- 23.2 versions earlier than 23.2R2.
- Record
CVE-2023-36842- 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-703, CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-36842 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Juniper Junos, published January 12, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.29%, the 21st percentile. No source names a fixed version.